Former Milwaukee Tool IT Worker Sentenced After Stealing Over $1 Million in Tools

Matthew Yang, a former IT employee at Milwaukee Tool, was sentenced to five years in prison followed by five years of extended supervision after pleading no contest to felony theft. Prosecutors say Yang used his company access to place hundreds of fraudulent orders and redirect thousands of dollars of equipment to his home.

How the Scheme Worked

According to court records and local reporting, Yang — who worked for Milwaukee Tool for eight years at its Brookfield headquarters — exploited the company's ordering system from March 2024 through March 2025. He allegedly created 115 fake orders, deleted the records to hide his activity, and successfully received 109 shipments before the thefts were discovered.

The Break in the Case

The investigation was triggered when a freight carrier called Milwaukee Tool's customer service to confirm the delivery address for roughly 9,000 pounds of tools bound for a Wauwatosa apartment complex. That inquiry prompted a review that uncovered the pattern. Investigators also recovered a spreadsheet on Yang's work laptop labeled "selling list," which they say indicates the items were intended for resale, not personal use.

Financial Impact and Legal Outcome

Milwaukee Tool values the items Yang ordered at approximately $1.44 million. A judge ordered Yang to repay $1.08 million in restitution after the company cancelled or recovered a portion of the shipments. Yang pleaded no contest to five of 14 original charges; the remaining nine counts were dismissed but read in at sentencing.

Takeaway

Inside access is not ownership: this case highlights how gaps in internal controls can enable large-scale theft and why companies need stronger monitoring of high-volume or unusual orders.

This case underscores the importance of audit trails, exception reporting, and multi-step approvals for high-value or bulk shipments.