Former Bar Vegan CFO Aaron Mattison Has Been Indicted On Theft, First-Degree Forgery, And Money Laundering – AfroTech
Pinky Coleman’s former CFO has been indicted.
Aaron Mattison was a co-owner and chief financial officer of Bar Vegan with the restaurateur and Slutty Vegan founder. Mattison claims he worked on Wall Street after graduating from college, in both traditional investment banking and private equity, according to Restaurant Informer. After business school, his focus pivoted to strategy and consulting.
“Bar Vegan started from conversations with Pinky once I joined the executive team of Slutty Vegan,” he told the outlet.
Per a press release, Bar Vegan was described as an Atlanta-based “go-to dining destination for exceptional plant-based cuisine” and cocktails. The venture was launched in 2021 and operated at Ponce City Market. After four years, it closed, Rough Draft Atlanta reports.
Bar Vegan had been tied to allegations that it withheld tips and paid unfair wages, according to a 2022 class action lawsuit initially brought by employee Morgan Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The defendants, Cole, Mattison, and Jason Crain, also a co-owner, denied the allegations but later agreed to settle what became a class action lawsuit. The result was $62,172 for the plaintiffs and $32,828 for attorneys’ fees.
“While Pinky Cole was personally named in the lawsuit, she has no personal ownership or financial interest in Bar Vegan LLC. The entity is owned by Slutty Vegan Inc., and any liabilities associated with Bar Vegan fall under that corporate structure,” Cole’s representative said, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
At the time, Cole was working to avoid bankruptcy of Slutty Vegan with control of the company going to an asset administrator. Cole later repurchased her former company through a new entity, per Rough Draft Atlanta.
The legal troubles for Mattison didn’t stop. The Neighborhood Talk reports that, in a court document, prosecutors allege that Mattison created unauthorized financial documents that appeared to be approved by Bar Vegan but were not. He allegedly initiated an $87,300 wire transfer for personal gain and carried out a series of transactions between September 2021 and June 2022 totaling more than $24,999, before moving funds across multiple accounts.
Mattison has been indicted in Georgia on charges of theft by taking, first-degree forgery, and money laundering, according to The Neighborhood Talk.
Cole is not facing charges in connection with Mattison’s indictment.
