A former manager at Lighting Plastics Solutions is accused of stealing 75 checks that totaled about $175,000 from the Clearwater business, according to a police report.

  • Art Williams, 41, charged with grand theft, scheme to defraud
  • Owner said Williams admitted to theft
  • Williams out of jail on $150,000 bond

“That’s a lot of money for our business,” said owner Jim Davis. “It’s the lifeblood of our business.”

Davis said he fired Art Williams, 41, on July 5, after confronting his manager about the stolen money. Clearwater police arrested Williams on Friday, charging him with grand theft and scheme to defraud.

“He just got sloppy in his ability to cook the books and hide the evidence,” said Davis. “When I confronted him about it he said, ‘Times have been tough.’ He admitted to this theft.”

The small business specializes in cost-effective lighting solutions for retrofitting industrial and commercial businesses. Davis has been building that business since 1997.

Davis called the grand theft the ultimate betrayal from a nearly 15-year employee.

“I can’t tell you how bad I feel about it, because the guy was like a son to me for a lot of years,” he said. “He’s in my opinion nothing more than a common thief.”

Davis said he’s still trying to figure out how Williams was able to deposit checks into his personal savings account that were made out to Lighting Plastics Solutions.

“Signing his name first and then adding a little addendum at the back that has my company information on it,” he said. “We are struggling to understand how anything is even possible like that in the first place.”

Police said it appears the scheme to defraud happened from January through July. The owner said he wants to see Williams prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and that his business will survive.

“Lighting Plastics will be fine,” Davis said. “We were able to stop the bleeding before it sunk us, but no thanks to Art Williams.”

Williams got out of the Pinellas Jail on Sunday after posting a $15,000 bond. We tried contacting Williams at his Largo duplex but nobody came to the door.