A felony charge for embezzlement has been filed against former real estate salesman Michael H. Granger.

Granger, 49, was charged Wednesday in Kenosha County Circuit Court. A warrant also was filed. No court date was set.

If convicted, Granger faces five years in prison.

He was not available for comment.

The charge stems from a September home sale involving Granger’s sister in which Granger allegedly pocketed a $12,000 commission, rather than turning over the money for payment through Unum Realty Inc. in Kenosha, a franchisee of Weichert Realtors.

State regulations require money secured from sales or other transactions to be turned over to the broker for deposit in a general account. Salespeople are later paid, within 48 hours in Granger’s case, out of that fund, according to the criminal complaint.

In Granger’s case, the complaint alleges Granger directed those handling the closing to pay him directly. He then cashed a check for $12,000.

The broker, Ralph D. Nudi, reported the incident to the Wisconsin Real Estate Board and local authorities, who issued the criminal charge.

The Wisconsin Real Estate Board revoked Granger’s license in October.

According to the board’s final decision, Granger:

— Forged the signatures of the sellers of a property and kept the proceeds of the sale, in the amount of $46,220, for himself.

— Took checks from a party interested in buying a property on a land contract and kept the money instead of giving it to the property owner or his lender.

— Caused the $12,000 commission in connection with the sale of a home to his sister to be paid to a real estate firm Granger had no connection with. Granger then endorsed the check and made the entire commission payable to himself. The action circumvented an agreement Granger had with a real estate firm that employed him under which it would receive 20 percent of any commissions he earned.

Granger, who failed to respond to the complaint brought against him by the Department of Regulation and Licensing and the Real Estate Board, had a default judgment entered against him and was ordered to pay all recoverable costs associated with the disciplinary proceeding against him.