Former central Ohio brewery executive sentenced after stealing over $200,000 from employer

A former employee of 1487 Brewery who was convicted of siphoning hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Plain City spot has learned his fate.

According to a Facebook post from the Office of the Union County Prosecuting Attorney, the former Chief Operating Officer of the brewery, Lyle Bigelow, was recently sentenced to 30 months in prison and more than $100,000 in restitution to the brewery (the amount not covered by 1487’s insurance).

“Running a business is hard.  It’s harder when you’re the victim a of internalized theft,” the post reads.

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According to the Office of the Union County Prosecuting Attorney, Bigelow was hired as a line cook in December of 2020, before quickly climbing the ranks.

The prosecutor’s office said between September 2021 and October 2022, Bigelow controlled the brewery’s payroll, and diverted approximately $200,000 to personal accounts through fake employees and illegitimate payments. Additionally, he made over $14,000 worth of Amazon purchases using company cards.

He was charged with aggravated theft, a felony. The owner of the brewery told the Office of Union County Prosecuting Attorney that the thefts “nearly destroyed the business.”

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