An Alabama city’s ex-finance director pleads guilty to embezzling nearly $1M

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The former finance director for a city in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, has pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $1 million. Al.com reports that Robert Winston Burgett entered the plea Wednesday to three counts of wire fraud in federal court in Birmingham. Burgett worked for the City of Homewood for 13 years until his retirement in March. The news site says federal documents show Burgett used his position to embezzle about $950,000 between May 2023 and March by moving city funds into a commercial account and then transferring the money to his personal account. U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco set sentencing for next Feb. 26.