Rickey Charles Goodrich, former chief financial officer of Pearl Jam’s management company Curtis Management, has pled guilty to theft after years of embezzling more than $300,000 from the rock band.
Goodrich, 55, entered a guilty plea in December to six counts of theft in the first degree, occurring from 2007 to 2010.
Hired by Pearl Jam Touring Co. in 2005, Goodrich was named CFO of the band’s management company, owned by band manager Kelly Curtis, the next year, according to reports. Though Pearl Jam removed Goodrich as tour accountant in August 2009 “due to a series of late and incomplete accounting” and an unaccounted for $35,000, he later returned to fill in for the new tour accountant in May 2010.
Goodrich’s theft from Curtis Management cost the company over $500,000, including investigative expenses, according to Seattle Police, and was used to pay personal debts, fund family vacations and spa trips, buy wine, make Amazon.com purchases, and pay for a personal life insurance policy, according to the charges.
As tour accountant, Goodrich claimed $15,000 in “road cash” was split among the five band members, according to reports, but after guitarist Mike McCready said he had not received his share, Goodrich then stated the money funded crew bonuses, which crew members also denied receiving. When confronted about the discrepancies, according to reports, he repaid the band $45,000 for “loans” he made to himself by forging Curtis’ signature.
After the band brought in a private investigator to account for the missing money, including another $134,000 in company credit card charges, Goodrich was fired in September 2010. Seattle Police began their own criminal investigation in January 2011, and Goodrich was charged with the thefts in June 2012.
Goodrich, a resident of Novato, Calif., has paid back $125,000 and agreed to pay another $181,000 in restitution before his sentencing Feb. 21, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in Washington.
As part of the plea agreement, if that balance is paid before sentencing, the state will recommend a six-month jail sentence. If not, the sentence recommendation will include a 14-month sentence and require Goodrich to pay the remaining balance.
According to the deal, Goodrich is also not to have any contact with Curtis, his wife or Pearl Jam members.
