Birmingham CPA Thomas L. Hinson Jr. Charged in $11M Embezzlement

BIRMINGHAM — A 69-year-old Birmingham certified public accountant is facing federal charges after allegedly siphoning $11.2 million from a Shelby County scrap metal brokerage he was trusted to manage. Thomas L. Hinson Jr., the former CFO of Strickland Trading Inc., stands accused of orchestrating a nearly decade-long embezzlement scheme using a shell company he secretly controlled.

Federal prosecutors filed a five-count information in U.S. District Court charging Hinson with wire fraud for depositing over 225 stolen customer checks — totaling $11.2 million — into an account under Strickland Trading Company, LLC, a company he created in April 2007. Despite working as CFO for the legitimate Strickland Trading Inc. since 2000, Hinson masked his involvement by listing a friend from Madison County as the organizer of the fraudulent LLC, exploiting the nearly identical name to reroute payments.

Between April 2007 and April 2016, Hinson intercepted checks mailed to the real company and funneled the funds into his own pocket. He then falsified financial records, generated fake balance sheets, and lied to corporate officers to conceal the theft, according to court documents. The embezzled money financed luxury real estate, automobiles, and personal expenses for Hinson, his family, and associates.

In a plea agreement filed alongside the charges, Hinson admits to the fraud and has agreed to plead guilty to all five counts of wire fraud. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Though sentencing remains pending, Hinson has agreed to full restitution of $11.2 million.

As part of the deal, Hinson also consents to forfeit his interest in multiple high-value properties across five states — including holdings in Huntsville and Birmingham, Alabama; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Lutz, Florida; and Sevierville, Tennessee — assets purchased directly with stolen funds.

The FBI led the investigation into the fraud, with Assistant U.S. Attorney George Martin handling prosecution. Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey and FBI Special Agent in Charge Roger Stanton confirmed the charges, underscoring the brazenness of a crime that exploited both trust and bureaucratic blind spots for over nine years.