Chapter 9 - THE $742,800 WAS NOT ALL STOLEN
Forensic accountant Priya Shah reviewed the vendor credits.
Her first conclusion disappointed Claire.
North Ridge had done substantial real work.
Documented campaign costs:
$286,000.
Events:
$104,000.
Digital advertising:
$61,000.
Contractor incentives:
$49,000.
Legitimate overhead and margin:
supportable.
The $742,800 discrepancy did not mean $742,800 theft.
That mattered.
JBD Strategy received:
$214,600
over twenty-two months.
Of that, Priya found:
$82,000 supported by actual training and consulting work.
$46,000 arguably overpriced but documented.
Approximately $86,600 had weak or circular support.
Then another issue.
North Ridge gave Jason:
travel credits,
event sponsorship benefits,
and a vehicle allowance.
Estimated value:
$39,000.
Undisclosed.
Total questionable personal benefit:
roughly $125,000 to $150,000.
Serious.
Not seven hundred thousand.
Claire accepted the narrower number.
Jason did not become a cartoon thief.
He had created value.
He had also hidden how much value flowed back to him.
Priya also looked at whether Jason’s work justified a larger incentive package.
Independent compensation data suggested a senior business-development executive at Bennett’s size could reasonably earn:
base compensation,
sales bonus,
and long-term incentive
worth substantially more than Jason had historically received.
Robert had underpaid him relative to responsibility.
Claire was surprised.
Jason’s lawyer seized on it.
“He was generating value without compensation matching his role.”
Grace answered:
“Then negotiate compensation.”
Lauren nodded.
“Agreed.”
That became one of the cleanest truths in the case.
Jason had a legitimate grievance.
He chose an illegitimate solution.
The company later changed executive compensation review so no family member’s pay depended solely on Robert’s personal judgment.
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Jason’s resentment did not become an excuse.
It became a governance lesson.
