Former project manager faces embezzlement charges

By Paul Snyder

A former Roberts Construction Associates Inc. project manager made his initial court appearance Thursday on allegations he embezzled $212,870 from the company.

Sean Nemitz, 35, of Sun Prairie, faces felony theft, forgery and fraud charges in connection with his job with the Madison-based contractor. Madison police arrested Nemitz on April 1 after a nearly four-month investigation into the company’s financial records, according to the criminal complaint.

He was released on bond April 5.

According to the complaint, Nemitz gave the company altered permit applications and copies of personal checks showing he paid for those permits with his money. Roberts, according to the complaint, then reimbursed him. Nemitz also asked the company for blank checks to pay for permits, according to the complaint.

The company claims Nemitz used one of those two techniques on 16 projects, according to the complaint. Those projects include the village of Shorewood Police Department, the Brodhead Memorial Public Library, the Northern Light Church in Middleton and the East Madison Community Center. The thefts occurred between May 2006 and August 2009, according to the complaint.

Robin Roberts, the company’s owner, did not return repeated calls for comment.
Nemitz’s next court appearance is set for May 10 to schedule a preliminary hearing.

“All I can say is Sean, like anyone else facing charges, is presumed to be innocent until it’s proven he’s guilty,” said Erik Guenther, Nemitz’s attorney from Madison-based Hurley, Burish & Stanton SC. “All these are right now are allegations.”

Roberts fired Nemitz on Sept. 8, but, according to the complaint, he was fired because of performance problems rather than embezzlement. Nemitz started working for Roberts in February 2004 as a drafting and design architect before becoming a project manager in December 2005, according to the complaint.

The case has been assigned to Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke.