A Thomasville man is charged with stealing $1.5 million from a business in which he was an owner and chief financial officer.

Neil Glenn Fennell, 44, 103 Ivanhoe Drive, is charged with embezzling the money from Ambassador Personnel Inc., 406 S. Broad St., during a six-year period.

“He was embezzling money over a period, six or so years, money out of the business,” said Toby Knifer, Thomasville Police Department detective.

Knifer said Fennel was one of the owners of the company until a couple of years ago.

The suspect was paying personal bills and making personal purchases from company accounts while receiving a regular salary, the detective explained.

“He did so for six years under the radar without anybody noticing it,” Knifer said, “Eventually, it came to light by owners of the business.”

Fennell, he said, eventually became an owner and chief financial officer and wrote checks.

According to Knifer, Fennell left the company in 2012. The suspect was terminated after thefts were discovered during a brief internal investigation, the detective said.

Ambassador notified police and the district attorney’s office. The police investigation began in January 2013.

Doug Wilson, one of two Ambassador owners and chief executive officer, told the Times-Enterprise he cannot comment on the case.

Fennell surrendered when contacted by police.

He is charged with felony theft by taking and was released from the Thomas County Jail on a $100,100 bond.

Findings from the police investigation have been turned over to the district attorney’s office for prosecution.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820.