A.C. Moore Arts & Crafts has appointed Rodney Schriver chief accounting officer, in addition to his current roles as vice president and controller. Schriver, who joined the company as controller in 2004, took on the additional role of vice president in March 2007.

Prior to A.C. Moore, Schriver served as vice president and assistant controller with Charming Shoppes, a national specialty retailer, from 1989 to 2004. Previously, he was a senior auditor with Ernst & Young.

In other news, the company has also appointed David Stern as executive vice president, chief financial officer and chief administrative officer. In addition to serving as the company’s principal financial officer, Stern will be responsible for information technology, supply chain and inventory management.

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Aug. 27 charged former Dell Chief Accounting Officer, Robert Davis, for his role in the company’s accounting fraud. The charges come after the SEC in July charged Dell with fraud for materially misstating its operating results from fiscal year 2002 to fiscal year 2005.

The SEC’s complaint against Davis, filed in federal district court in Washington, D.C., alleges that he directed the use of “cookie jar” reserves, which he referred to as “contingencies,” to cover shortfalls in operating results and engaged in other reserve manipulations. The SEC’s complaint further alleges that the reserve manipulations allowed Dell to materially misstate its operating expenses as a percentage of revenue—an important financial metric that Dell highlighted to investors. The manipulations also enabled Dell to materially misstate the operating income of its Europe, Middle East and Africa segment.

More Charges

In a separate complaint also filed in federal district court in Washington, D.C., the SEC alleges that Dell Assistant Controller, Randall Imhoff, aided and abetted Dell’s improper use of “cookie jar” reserves and other reserve manipulations to cover shortfalls in Dell’s operating results from fiscal year 2002 to fiscal year 2004. The SEC’s complaint alleges that Imhoff, acting under his supervisors’ general direction, planned and issued instructions regarding Dell’s build-up and use of cookie jar reserves. In an example of his involvement in Dell’s other improper reserve manipulations, the SEC’s complaint alleges that Imhoff failed to ensure that Dell increased its reserves, as required by GAAP, after learning that an accrual to cover the costs of closing a Dell facility in Texas was inadequate.

Charges Brought

Without admitting or denying the SEC’s allegations, agreed to pay a penalty of $175,000, disgorgement of $19,080, and prejudgment interest of $9,078. In his settlement offer, Davis also consented to being suspended from appearing or practicing before the SEC as an accountant, with the right to apply for reinstatement after five years.

In addition, Imhoof, without admitting or denying the SEC’s allegations, agreed to pay a penalty of $25,000, disgorgement of $12,852, and prejudgment interest of $6,197. In his settlement offer, Imhoff also consented to being suspended from appearing or practicing before the SEC as an accountant, with the right to apply for reinstatement after three years.

KBR, a global engineering, construction and services company, has appointed Dennis Baldwin as vice president and chief accounting officer, effective as of Aug. 16. He replaces John Gann, who left the company to pursue other opportunities.

Baldwin was previously the vice president and chief accounting officer for three years with Houston-based engineering and construction company, McDermott International. Prior to joining McDermott, Baldwin served as vice president and chief accounting officer for the turnaround management team of Integrated Electrical Services, as well as vice president and corporate controller at Houston-based Veritas, DGC.

Michael Rand, the former chief accounting officer for home builder Beazer Homes USA, has been charged with 11 criminal counts of conspiracy, securities fraud, obstruction, witness tampering, false statements to a financial institution, misleading conduct, and destruction of records.

The charges stem from an ongoing government investigation involving Beazer and its employees. In July 2009, Beazer was charged with, among other things, participation in the conspiracy and securities fraud with Rand. Beazer accepted responsibility for those charges and, in a deferred prosecution agreement, agreed to pay up to $50 million in restitution.

According to the indictment, Rand is alleged to have directed an accounting fraud conspiracy to manipulate Beazer’s books and records, to deceive Beazer’s auditors, and to achieve earnings targets, and to boost or lower earnings at Beazer. The conspiracy is alleged to have gone on from around 2000 through in or about 2007.

According to the indictment, Rand and others executed the conspiracy in two ways. First, between 2005 and 2006, Rand allegedly entered into a hidden oral side agreement with another company through one of its employees, which was designed to allow Beazer to obtain cash and recognize revenue from purported “sales” of model homes. This activity was further hidden from Beazer’s auditors.

The indictment also alleges that, between 2000 and 2007, Rand engaged in a scheme to commit securities fraud and create false books and records at Beazer by practicing a form of what is commonly known as “cookie jar accounting,” which allowed Rand and others to manipulate Beazer’s publicly reported financial statements.

Full details can be found in this Department Of Justice press release.

KBR, a global engineering, construction and services company, has appointed Dennis Baldwin as vice president and chief acccounting officer, effective as of Aug. 16. He replaces John Gann, who left the company to pursue other opportunities.

Baldwin joins KBR from Houston-based McDermott International, where he has served as vice president and chief acccounting officer for three years. Prior to joining McDermott, Baldwin served as vice president and chief acccounting officer for the turnaround management team of Integrated Electrical Services. Baldwin also served as vice president and corporate controller at Houston-based Veritas, DGC.

CAMAC Energy has appointed Jeff Courtright as financial controller, effective Aug. 19. He will be reporting to Executive Vice President and CFO, Abiola Lawal.

Courtright brings to CAMAC Energy over 20 years of experience in financial management, including SEC reporting, mergers and acquisitions, treasury management and budgeting. Before joining CAMAC Energy, Courtright spent four years as director of financial reporting at Houston-based BMC Software, and had previously served as the controller and principal accounting officer at Kraton Polymers. Prior to these senior financial positions, Courtright also worked for Transco Energy Company and American Exploration Company.

Southwest Gas Corporation has announced that George Biehl will be retiring from the positions of executive vice president, CFO and corporate secretary, but said he will continue to assist the company with the transition of his responsibilities.

Assuming his position, Roy Centrella will be promoted to senior vice president and CFO. The company announced several other promotions related to Biehl’s retirement, all effective Aug. 11:

• Karen Haller will assume the title of vice president, general counsel, compliance officer, and corporate secretary.

• Gregory Peterson will hold the title of vice president, controller, and chief accounting officer.

• Edward Janov will assume the role of senior vice president of corporate development.

• Kenneth Kenny, will be named vice president of finance and treasurer.

• Laura Lopez Hobbs will be promoted to vice president of administration, which includes human resources, shareholder services, corporate administrative services, energy services, corporate communications, and corporate policies and procedures.

In other news, Southwest Gas recently elected A. Randall Thoman, a former partner of Deloitte & Touche, as a member of its board of directors. He also will serve on the audit and pension plan investment committees. Thoman’s election increases the number of directors from twelve to thirteen.

Allegheny Technologies Incorporated has announced several key executive changes effective Aug. 1.

Dale Reid has been named senior vice president of finance and principal financial Officer reporting to L. Patrick Hassey, Chairman and CEO. Reid will be responsible for the company’s worldwide accounting, treasury, tax, and internal audit functions. Reid has been with ATI for 29 years and has been serving as vice president, controller, chief accounting officer and treasurer since December 2003. Reid replaces Richard Harshman in these roles, who has been promoted to President and COO also reporting to Hassey.

In other news, Karl Schwartz was named controller and principal accounting officer. Schwartz, has been with ATI for eight years, has been serving as assistant controller. In addition, Rose Marie Manley was named treasurer. Manley has been with the company for 12 years and formerly served as assistant treasurer, treasury operations. Both will report to Reid.

Elliot Davis has been named vice president and general counsel. He will report to Jon Walton, who is executive vice president of human resources, chief legal and compliance officer, and corporate secretary. Davis has been assistant general counsel since 2008. Prior to joining ATI, Davis had been a partner of K&L Gates for over 20 years in their corporate M&A and Securities Group.

Sensient Technologies Corporation, a global manufacturer and marketer of colors, flavors and fragrances, has announced a handful of officer elections within its executive leadership. Among the new appointments, Jeffrey Makal has been elected to the position of vice president, controller and chief accounting officer.

Other appointments include Stephen Rolfs to the position of vice president of administration; James McCarthy and Paul Manning to the positions of president of flavors and fragrances group, and president of color group, respectively; and Christopher Daniels to the position of vice president of human resources.

In other news, the company also elected Douglas Pepper to the position of president and chief operating officer. Pepper joined Sensient in December 2005, as CFO of the Sensient Color Group and most recently served as Sensient’s vice president of administration. He is assuming the position previously held by Neil Cracknell, who has departed from the company.

The company also announced that its Board of Directors has amended its employment agreement with its Chairman and CEO, Kenneth Manning. Under the amended agreement, Manning has agreed to serve as Chairman and CEO until Jan. 1, 2013. After that time, he intends to serve as a non-employee chairman of the board until Jan. 1, 2015. The previous employment agreement called for Manning to serve as Chairman of the Board and CEO until Dec. 31, 2011, and as non-employee chairman for two additional years.

Dallas-based Zion Oil & Gas has announced that Kent Segal, the company’s lead director and a member of the audit and compensation committees, will also assume the full-time role of chief financial officer. He replaces Sandra Green, who resigned her job in what Zion describes as a mutual and amicable agreement.

Zion, which drills for oil and gas in Israel, did not say when Segal might resign his board seat or who might replace him. The company also announced that Patti Beals has been named Zion’s chief accounting officer.