Welcome to Arrest Stories. A Metro Atlanta restaurant owner faces mounting legal troubles as she's arrested twice in one day on theft of services charges while allegedly embezzling over five million dollars from her former employer. Here's what may have happened.
Forty-four-year-old Julie Freeman found herself in handcuffs twice on September twenty-fifth in Newton County, marking a dramatic fall for the owner of Yellow River Ale House. Freeman's legal nightmare began during a routine traffic stop on South Broad Street while driving her Jeep Wrangler. Officers discovered her registration was suspended, leading to her vehicle being impounded.
But that traffic stop revealed something much more serious. When officers asked, "Did you know you have a warrant for your arrest?" Freeman learned she was wanted on theft of services charges for allegedly failing to pay four different employees.
The charges stem from Freeman's time as chief financial officer at CPI Management Group, where she allegedly orchestrated a massive embezzlement scheme. According to court documents, Freeman diverted more than five point six million dollars over a two-and-a-half-year period ending in April when she was terminated. Prosecutors claim she used false financial statements, unauthorized payroll transfers, and fraudulent invoices to funnel money into accounts she controlled.
The scheme allegedly involved Freeman making approximately one hundred fifty improper payments to herself while serving as contracted CFO. Federal bankruptcy court filings accuse her of embezzling more than five million dollars through these systematic transfers.
Freeman's business empire appears to be crumbling. Her restaurant's insurance was cancelled on August first for non-payment, and brown paper with no trespassing signs now cover the establishment's doors and windows. The Sportsman's Grille LLC was officially dissolved on September nineteenth for failing to maintain proper registration and unpaid fees.
When Freeman later visited the police department to retrieve her belongings, she was arrested again on additional theft of services charges. When she questioned why all charges weren't filed simultaneously, investigators responded, "Because people keep coming forward."
Both restaurants' Facebook pages have been deactivated, and the businesses appear permanently shuttered.
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.