On November 15th 2018, frequent anime convention vendor Lemonbrat – makers of fursuits and hoodies – filed a lawsuit in Cook County against a former employee, Corey Wood.
Corey Wood is also the convention chair of Anime Milwaukee and has been reported to operate a company called “Corgi Events”, which appears to have ties to DenFur and Painted Desert Fur Con as well. Anime Milwaukee is a convention located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which happens around March every year and boasts thousands of attendees.
Corgi Events LLC is a Wisconsin Limited Liability Company.
Anime Milwaukee is run under nonprofit corporation called “Entertainment and Culture Promotional Society”. It has been reported in the comments on Facebook that “Entertainment and Culture Promotional Society” had its nonprofit status revoked years ago for never filing the necessary paperwork. A current search on the IRS website does not return “ECPS” or Anime Milwaukee in its list of registered charities.
Lemonbrat publicly stated that Corey Wood was no longer with the company in a Facebook post:
Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/lemonbrat/posts/1971796266191128?ref=embed_post
According to the Cook County Record:
CHICAGO – A Cook County costume business alleges its financial manager unlawfully diverted thousands of dollars to himself.
Lemonbrat Inc. and Barbara Staples filed a complaint on Nov. 15 in Cook County Circuit Court against Corey Wood alleging breach of fiduciary duty and other counts.
According to the complaint, Wood has been employed by the plaintiffs since January 2013 as a financial manager and prepared payroll and the company’s books. The plaintiffs allege they discovered Wood established separate Square accounts for Lemonbrat and its predecessor that diverted credit card payments that belonging to the plaintiffs to Wood personally. The plaintiffs allege Wood diverted more than $40,000 to himself via his false Square account or accounts and has written more than $15,000 in bogus checks.
The plaintiffs seek preliminary and permanent injunction, request to allow plaintiffs to forensically examine Wood’s computers, and other relief. They are represented by Sheldon M. Lustig and John H. Wickert of Lustig & Wickert PC in Northbrook.