Greenville Man Indicted for Stealing $1.6 Million from Employer to Fund Lavish Lifestyle
CENTRAL ISLIP, NEW YORK — Tony Ream, also known as Tony Ream-Hendley, of Greenville, South Carolina, has been indicted on federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering, accused of embezzling more than $1.6 million from customer credit accounts while working as a credit supervisor at a Long Island-based company.
Federal prosecutors allege that Ream used the stolen funds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including tens of thousands of dollars on his wedding, luxury international vacations, and a failed restaurant venture in South Carolina known as Restaurant Angkor, which was profiled in 2024 by The Post and Courier.
According to the indictment unsealed in federal court on Thursday, Ream was employed at the Melville, New York headquarters of a global distributor of medical and dental supplies beginning in 2019. He was promoted to credit supervisor in 2020, a role that gave him access to customer refund accounts.
From 2020 through 2023, Ream allegedly orchestrated a scheme in which he diverted company funds intended for customer refunds into a personal bank account he controlled. Over four years, investigators say Ream wired approximately $1.6 million to his own account by abusing his position and manipulating internal processes.
In a statement, FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Raia condemned Ream’s actions:
“Tony Ream allegedly embezzled over one million dollars from his former company by diverting corporate funds to his personal account and deceiving his subordinates into perpetuating this theft. Ream abused his position of trust and stole from his employer to fund an extravagant lifestyle.”
Prosecutors also allege that Ream misled employees under his supervision, enlisting them to unknowingly assist in executing and concealing the fraudulent transactions.
If convicted on all charges, Ream could face up to 20 years in federal prison. The indictment marks a significant fall from grace for the former Greenville entrepreneur, whose high-profile restaurant venture and social media presence had painted a different picture of success.
Ream was arraigned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Central Islip, where he entered a plea of not guilty. He has not made any public comment on the charges.
The case remains under investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Authorities are urging anyone with additional information related to the scheme to come forward.
Summary:
- Suspect: Tony Ream (aka Ream-Hendley), Greenville, SC
- Charges: Wire fraud, money laundering
- Amount stolen: $1.6 million
- Alleged uses: Wedding, failed restaurant, luxury travel
- Employer: Medical/dental supply company in Melville, NY
- Maximum sentence: 20 years in prison