Fake University: An online university website with a similar-sounding name to the University of Houston is using an address that doesn’t exist and posting faculty who are fake, KHOU 11 Investigates has discovered. A day after the KHOU 11 Investigates report, the website was no longer working. At first glance, Houston University of Science and Technology looks like a great place to learn, with a website full of smiling students all giving a thumbs up for this "remarkable center of excellence" and "high-quality education that brings you ultimate success." https://www.khou.com/article/news/investigations/houston-university-fake-address-phony-faculty-sign-up-students/285-0cd44d35-f32d-436b-ae37-192ba71b8987 3D379335-2FFC-4791-B1D3-26072A440FA1 Thu, 11 Aug 2022 10:39:03 -0500 Cyber Fraud Scam: Three Nigerian citizens were extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States in connection to a multi-million dollar cyber scheme involving multiple institutions, including Virginia Commonwealth University. According to a press release by the FBI Wednesday, Texas, North Carolina and Virginia were among the states implicated in the fraud scheme. This type of crime is known as “cyber-enabled financial fraud.” The documents detail that VCU transferred nearly half a million dollars from their bank account to Bank of Hope for a group of Nigerian scammers posing as an employee of the real construction company Kjellstrom and Lee, with whom VCU had an ongoing contract. https://www.nbc12.com/2022/08/11/vcu-loses-nearly-500000-multi-million-dollar-cyber-fraud-scheme/ 57D6E4FE-52C8-4EED-B3E6-B507FD76AE2A Wed, 10 Aug 2022 08:18:49 -0500 Fraud: California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the arrest of a man in connection with an alleged years-long scheme to defraud families with relatives who served in the military, as well as the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems. The man is alleged to have duped more than 40 families with a grandparent or other family member who served in the armed forces into paying at least $500 each for counterfeit California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) College Fee Waiver letters and instructing those families to submit the letters to universities to have their children’s tuition waived when in fact they were not eligible for such a waiver. He was arrested on charges of grand theft, identity theft, and forgery, among others. https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-announces-arrest-los-angeles-man-defrauding-military DE1F809D-D127-44ED-AF83-772B61921194 Wed, 10 Aug 2022 12:33:51 -0500 Research Misconduct: A major controversy in marine biology took a new twist last week when the University of Delaware (UD) found one of its star scientists guilty of research misconduct. The university has confirmed to Science that it has accepted an investigative panel’s conclusion that a marine ecologist committed fabrication and falsification in work on fish behavior and coral reefs. The university is seeking the retraction of three of the ecologist’s papers and “has notified the appropriate federal agencies,” a spokesperson says. https://www.science.org/content/article/star-marine-ecologist-committed-misconduct-university-says CF95A191-E495-4693-AF12-07683E18AA75 Tue, 9 Aug 2022 15:51:36 -0500 Research Misconduct: The University of Northern Iowa is defending its decision to discipline a professor who had previously been sanctioned for plagiarism. An associate professor and public relations instructor at UNI is seeking judicial review of the school’s decision last year to discipline her for allegedly violating school policies on research. According to newly filed court records, in 2012 UNI professor Christopher Martin identified six pieces that the instructor had published and which he believed contained examples of plagiarized content. https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2022/08/04/uni-professor-in-discipline-case-accused-of-long-standing-pattern-of-misconduct/ 8B9ABFCF-D913-43E5-B55D-34C658BA8726 Thu, 4 Aug 2022 08:16:15 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A former employee of Saint Anselm College is expected to plead guilty Monday to stealing more than $66,000 from the school. The woman is the college's former assistant vice president of finance. According to court documents, in January 2019 she created a fake company called NH DESIGNZ. She allegedly submitted fraudulent invoices to the school for services that were never provided. Court paperwork shows the woman received $44,297 in checks from the college that were made out to NH DESIGNZ. The employee is also accused of using a credit card, meant for college-related expenses, to make personal purchases, including family vacations and theme park tickets. https://www.wmur.com/article/former-saint-anselm-college-employee-expected-to-plead-guilty-to-stealing-from-school/40768691# C6969EB1-CA91-4096-9FF0-0BCC66949DD5 Mon, 1 Aug 2022 10:58:15 -0500 Scientific Misconduct: In August 2021, Matthew Schrag, a neuroscientist and physician at Vanderbilt University, got a call that would plunge him into a maelstrom of possible scientific misconduct. A colleague wanted to connect him with an attorney investigating an experimental drug for Alzheimer’s disease called Simufilam. The drug’s developer, Cassava Sciences, claimed it improved cognition, partly by repairing a protein that can block sticky brain deposits of the protein amyloid beta (Aβ), a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. The attorney’s clients—two prominent neuroscientists who are also short sellers who profit if the company’s stock falls—believed some research related to Simufilam may have been “fraudulent,” according to a petition later filed on their behalf with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). https://www.science.org/content/article/potential-fabrication-research-images-threatens-key-theory-alzheimers-disease 71E04DCA-953A-4952-9371-3C60BBF5126B Thu, 21 Jul 2022 10:32:47 -0500 Occupational Fraud: Reynolds Community College’s former financial aid director was sentenced to more than five years in prison in connection to an eight-year scheme she orchestrated in which she defrauded Virginia and the U.S. Department of Education of nearly $380,000 in student financial aid funds. From 2011 through 2017, court documents state that the woman used her financial aid office access to manufacture or boost financial aid eligibility for individuals, often her family members, who were not in fact eligible for financial aid. She then directed at least four of those co-conspirators to send her the majority of the illegally obtained money. https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/richmond/former-virginia-community-college-director-sentenced-for-scheme-stealing-more-than-380000-in-financial-aid-money/ 58C282B3-978B-4FA8-B875-4D25EFF0B2C4 Wed, 20 Jul 2022 13:50:51 -0500 Admissions Scandal: A former Georgetown University tennis coach who once coached former President Barack Obama’s family was sentenced Friday to 2 1/2 years in prison for pocketing more than $3 million in bribes in exchange for helping wealthy parents cheat their kids’ way into the school. The sentence for the coach is by far the toughest punishment handed down so far in the sprawling college admissions bribery scandal that shined a light on the lengths some rich parents will go to get their kids into the nation’s most selective schools. https://www.fox5dc.com/news/former-georgetown-tennis-coach-sentenced-in-college-admissions-bribery-scandal D4B8BCE2-B0B8-4AF1-9AC8-079471518E4D Sat, 2 Jul 2022 11:32:35 -0500 Corruption: The former San Mateo County Community College District Chancellor pleaded not guilty to all corruption charges leveled against him on Thursday, June 30, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe. On April 7, the DA announced felony charges against the chancellor, including that he allegedly fraudulently reported a $10,000 charitable donation to the Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation Fire Relief Fund on his 2017 taxes that was actually a donation made by the San Mateo Community College District Foundation. He is also charged with allegedly awarding construction projects to vendors from whom he received "multiple valuable gifts," including tickets to concerts and sporting events, and international travel. https://almanacnews.com/news/2022/06/30/former-community-college-chancellor-pleads-not-guilty-on-corruption-charges 990CB976-F813-464E-93BC-2B23ADF18A4F Fri, 1 Jul 2022 12:25:46 -0500 Occupational Fraud: MU officials announced the firing of three College of Engineering staff members Thursday after an internal audit found financial mismanagement in the school. The audit discovered direct evidence that the then-director of financial services at the College of Engineering, stole at least $30,700 from MU in electronics and unauthorized credit card purchases. The report also said two other administrators were significantly involved in the scheme and that they were dismissed in early February. These employees included an associate dean and an associate director of finance at the college. https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/after-college-of-engineering-audit-mu-announces-fraud-details-terminations/article_c7d0620a-f8af-11ec-948e-ab0f337661f8.html 01F1CEFD-E347-4C34-9FC8-E2F91801F4AD Fri, 1 Jul 2022 12:23:30 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A former dean at East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park pleaded no contest in a criminal case in which he was charged with overbilling the school by more than $1,500 for trips he took. The man was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay $1,580 in restitution as a result of his plea on Friday to a felony count of grand theft by an employee, attorneys said. https://patch.com/california/los-angeles/former-dean-east-la-college-pleads-no-contest-theft-case 3A847467-05A8-494A-8931-C64201AA3D77 Sat, 11 Jun 2022 14:08:46 -0500 Occupational Fraud: The former track and field coach at Austin Peay State University has pleaded guilty to attempted theft and agreed to repay the university $30,600 in misappropriated money. "The vast majority of the misappropriated money was collected and turned over to the coach during track and cross country fundraiser events hosted between 2015 and 2018," the release said. "These fundraisers included several athletic events in which participants were charged entry fees. At least $29,775 that was collected during these events should have been deposited into a APSU bank account; however, investigators discovered that the coach retained this money for his personal benefit." https://clarksvillenow.com/local/former-austin-peay-state-university-track-and-cross-country-coach-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-30600/ 7FEA21F5-A544-4E83-8EEC-ABBB27945C5E Thu, 2 Jun 2022 13:51:26 -0500 Embezzlement: Salinas police said that after a lengthy investigation, they arrested a former administrative assistant working for Hartnell College on eleven embezzlement and identity theft charges on Tuesday. The woman is accused of using thousands of dollars from the Hartnell College Foundation by linking their credit card to her own personal Amazon account. Police said she was found to have also been falsifying time card entries in the payroll system, using part-time employee profiles. https://kion546.com/news/2022/05/19/former-hartnell-college-employee-arrested-for-embezzlement-and-identity-fraud-totaling-over-42000/ A92A21EC-E5B7-4984-810F-12B9A0BC2F26 Thu, 19 May 2022 14:03:39 -0500 Tax Evasion: Here is a lesson in do as I say, not as I do. A long-time accounting professor at Drexel University’s business school has been charged with tax evasion and filing false returns for allegedly using creative bookkeeping measures to hide income he transferred overseas. The professor is accused of inflating costs to a pharmacy business he ran with his wife in order to underreport their actual profits by millions of dollars, prosecutors said. https://www.marketwatch.com/story/bad-lesson-accounting-professor-at-drexel-university-charged-with-allegedly-using-creative-bookkeeping-to-evade-millions-in-taxes-11652389459 5BBA1AB6-E57B-49C8-A244-CAE0DE5E53D7 Fri, 13 May 2022 10:53:36 -0500 Rankings Fraud: A former administrator and a retired statistics professor at Temple University were sentenced to probation this week for assisting the former dean of its business school in a scheme to inflate its position in national rankings publications. But standing before a federal judge in Philadelphia a onetime finance manager at the Fox School of Business and a former tenured professor struck vastly different tones when it came to accepting responsibility for a scandal that has since cost the university millions in legal settlements. https://www.inquirer.com/news/temple-rankings-scandal-fox-school-isaac-gottlieb-marjorie-oneill-moshe-porat-20220505.html 1D348CED-92D1-4789-B5ED-883471D98AA8 Thu, 5 May 2022 10:12:52 -0500 Embezzlement: A former college dean has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for embezzling more than $650,000 from a national student organization working to improve minority representation in the pharmacy industry. While serving as the volunteer Executive Director of the student association, the woman withdrew cash and issued checks from the group’s bank accounts for her personal benefit. She used debit cards linked to the organization’s accounts to make various personal purchases, including for trips to the Caribbean. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndil/pr/former-college-dean-sentenced-year-federal-prison-embezzling-more-650000-student-0 82F543D3-96CC-4475-8E2A-13FDF477CAAD Thu, 5 May 2022 10:09:43 -0500 Embezzlement: In November 2019, the East Central University bursar walked into the administration building with a computer bag containing more than $150,000 in checks and cash that he admitted to taking illegally from his employer through the manipulation of student accounts and stolen football game receipts. But by the time embezzlement and computer fraud charges were filed in March 2020, he had disappeared. More than two years later, police have not located him, and questions still linger about the situation’s fiscal impact on the Ada-based regional university. https://nondoc.com/2022/05/03/former-east-central-university-bursar-still-free/ 8FD03B18-5C51-4F2B-BA4F-CC0EA9984352 Tue, 3 May 2022 11:53:25 -0500 Rankings Data Misreporting: Two deans at the University of Southern California’s education school directed officials to omit key data submitted for U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of best graduate schools, moves that contributed to the school’s rise in the rankings, according to an investigation released Friday. In March, USC announced that it pulled the Rossier School of Education out of U.S. News & World Report’s next annual rankings list after it discovered "a history of inaccuracies" in data reported by the school going back at least five years. The university commissioned an independent investigation to identify how the flawed data occurred. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-04-29/usc-education-school-omitted-data-us-news-world-report-rankings?utm_id=54215&sfmc_id=438734 CF593CE5-965D-4155-B008-6890A7A6F8E0 Sun, 1 May 2022 14:12:58 -0500 Academic Fraud: Rates of cheating in online examinations have hit a record high, according to proctoring data that show one in 14 students was caught breaking the rules last year. A global analysis of data on three million tests that used the ProctorU proctoring platform found that "confirmed breaches" of test regulations--incidents where there was clear evidence of misconduct--were recorded in 6.6 percent of all cases. This is nearly 14 times higher than the 0.5 percent misconduct rate detected in the 15 months prior to the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which triggered the widespread adoption of online assessments and, with this, a surge in the use of online proctoring services such as ProctorU. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/04/28/study-online-exam-cheating?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=63928aa617-DNU_2021_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-63928aa617-198624309&mc_cid=63928aa617&mc_eid=c27b65b094 7AC116A9-763D-4967-B468-B4627E0C6A93 Thu, 28 Apr 2022 15:43:56 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A former Stanford University employee and her brother were sentenced to federal prison terms this week for their roles in a scheme in which hundreds of laptop computers were ordered on behalf of the university but sold for private gain -- thefts that cost the institution millions of dollars over several years. The woman, 38, who worked at Stanford’s School of Humanities and Sciences, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Sacramento to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California said in a statement on Monday. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/20/us/stanford-laptops-theft.html 76868EB4-CAE5-42C8-8848-668F7C752FC9 Wed, 20 Apr 2022 15:00:25 -0500 Online Fraud: Ozarks Technical Community College announced Friday that it was robbed of $900,000 through an online fraud. OTC Chancellor Hal Higdon said the incident was discovered last week and immediately reported to the Springfield Police Department, which notified federal authorities. Higdon said the suspect, or suspects apparently impersonated one of its vendors online and successfully "directed payments from the college into a fraudulent account." https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/education/2022/04/15/otc-springfield-login-ozarks-technical-community-college-robbed-online-fraud/7320285001/ 10A0A363-4DC6-49E7-B96F-DF3FC39E89D1 Fri, 15 Apr 2022 11:16:54 -0500 Theft: The DeLand Police Department has asked for the public’s help as it attempts to identify a man officers say stole two musical instruments from Stetson University earlier this week. At 5:48 p.m. Tuesday, a man wearing a blue dress shirt was recorded on surveillance video entering McMahan Hall with nothing in his hands, police said. Two minutes later, the man exited the building carrying a Holton Soloist French horn and a Besson euphonium with an estimated collective value of $7,000, police said. https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/04/15/man-wanted-for-stealing-instruments-from-stetson-university-in-deland-police-say/ 3499B787-05A4-42CE-8814-106D88A84BE6 Fri, 15 Apr 2022 16:18:08 -0500 Rankings Fraud: Rutgers Business School manipulated its job placement data for graduate students in a bid to get a higher ranking from U.S. News and World Report and other publications, according to a class action lawsuit. The practice, according to the lawsuit, essentially defrauded prospective students by convincing them the tuition they spent for a master's of business administration degree would pay off with a high-paying job after they graduated. https://www.northjersey.com/story/money/business/career/2022/04/14/rutgers-business-school-lawsuit-sham-jobs-boosted-us-news-ranking/7304652001/ 45A84EC7-F379-46EC-87CE-22F0CE628524 Thu, 14 Apr 2022 09:46:23 -0500 Admissions Scandal: A federal jury found a former water polo coach at the University of Southern California guilty on Friday of taking thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for designating high school applicants as recruits so they would be favored in the college admissions process. The defendant has been the only coach to stand trial rather than take a guilty plea in the federal investigation known as Operation Varsity Blues, in which wealthy parents paid bribes to have their children admitted to elite schools. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/08/us/jovan-vavic-varsity-blues-trial.html CC4BC3AB-79C1-4C2B-88F9-15671C6B2D41 Fri, 8 Apr 2022 10:05:04 -0500 Misappropriation/Corruption: The former chancellor of the San Mateo County Community College District has been charged with tax evasion, misappropriation of public funds and perjury, according to prosecutors. The charges are the culmination of a years-long criminal investigation into alleged corruption at the college district. According to prosecutors, the chancellor fraudulently reported a $10,000 charitable donation to the Santa Rosa Junior College Foundation Fire Relief Fund on his 2017 state income tax return. The gift was actually made by the San Mateo County College District Foundation, prosecutors said. https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/04/07/san-mateo-county-community-college-district-ex-chancellor-charged-with-tax-evasion-misappropriating-public-funds/ BD1B5BF6-FBAA-4335-962E-B3E8A537E289 Fri, 8 Apr 2022 10:25:05 -0500 Wire Fraud: A federal jury has convicted University of Kansas chemistry professor of four counts of wire fraud, in a closely watched case involving his ties to a Chinese university. The tenured professor was the first defendant among about two dozen academics charged under a since-disbanded Trump-era program known as the China Initiative. Thursday's verdict followed a two-week-long trial that drew the attention of civil rights activists, who claimed the initiative unfairly targeted Chinese Americans. https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-07/university-of-kansas-professor-charged-under-trump-era-initiative-convicted-of-wire-fraud D50905F7-3A82-4AE1-A7DB-00AD807C590B Thu, 7 Apr 2022 17:31:40 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A former law school facilities director at the University of Texas pleaded guilty Thursday to a second-degree felony after being accused of stealing more than $1.2 million from the university, according to KXAN. Authorities alleged that the man, who worked for UT from 2007 to 2017, had fraudulently used procurement cards, contracts, invoices and money from his employment at UT to pay himself and other businesses. The thefts occurred between January 2013 and August 2017, according to court records. https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2022/03/31/former-ut-austin-law-school-official-pleads-guilty-second-degree-felony/7234197001/ 69B4596A-044E-46FE-9B23-06705685C25A Fri, 1 Apr 2022 11:03:45 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A former employee of the Yale School of Medicine pleaded guilty to fraud and tax charges in connection to her theft of over $40 million in electronic equipment from her employer. Authorities said the woman was employed by the Yale University School of Medicine starting in 2008. She worked in the Department of Emergency Medicine, and most recently served as the Director of Finance and Administration for the Department of Emergency Medicine. As early as 2013, she started a scheme where she ordered, or had others working for her order, millions of dollars of electronic hardware from Yale vendors using Yale Med funds and arranged to ship the stolen hardware to an out-of-state business in exchange for money. https://www.fox61.com/article/news/crime/former-yale-school-of-medicine-employee-guilty-stealing-electronics/520-a1899f17-62c9-4243-8707-52dcb0d93c75 2504A98D-29B6-4E41-AEBB-7D4FD58475AD Mon, 28 Mar 2022 08:57:41 -0500 Occupational Fraud: The former bursar at the City College of New York, Joseph Boselli, has admitted to stealing nearly $500,000 from students as part of a plea deal requiring him to serve five years of probation and pay back the stolen funds, according to court records. He admitted to engaging in "a fraudulent scheme to steal over 900 checks," totalling $497,971.85, that were originally issued to over 700 current and former students of the Harlem college between August 2012 through November 2017. https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2022/03/former-cuny-bursar-gets-five-years-probation-stealing-500000-students/363719/ 017816A2-E9DC-44DA-83E8-A8F13D918452 Mon, 28 Mar 2022 08:50:55 -0500 Occupational Fraud: The former payroll director of Nassau University Medical Center was indicted Thursday in connection with an embezzlement scheme. The woman is charged with grand larceny and falsifying business records in a $121,000 scheme. According to the district attorney, she used the hospital's payroll software to funnel money to former NUMC employees. https://longisland.news12.com/former-nassau-university-medical-center-payroll-director-indicted-in-embezzlement-scheme 3D1044CB-4700-42EA-BDC8-33ABF13E497A Thu, 24 Mar 2022 08:55:58 -0500 Rankings Data: USC will pull its Rossier School of Education from U.S. News & World Report’s next annual ranking of best graduate schools, officials said Wednesday, after discovering "a history of inaccuracies" in data reported by the school going back at least five years. Charles Zukoski, USC’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, addressed the decision in a letter sent to the graduate school community, noting that officials "asked U.S. News not to include the Rossier School in its graduate school rankings for 2023 while we seek to understand the situation further." https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-03-23/usc-rossier-school-education-pulls-out-of-us-news-rankings 81F0ECD1-EEAD-481B-9887-49A8DC4936E4 Wed, 23 Mar 2022 14:52:10 -0500 Loan & Grant Fraud: The former director of financial aid at Reynolds Community College has pleaded guilty in Richmond federal court to wire fraud in connection with a scheme she orchestrated to defraud Virginia and the U.S. Department of Education of $379,602 in federal and state student loan and grant funds over eight years. The woman, who was hired by Reynolds in 2006, used her access to Reynolds’ financial aid systems to inflate the financial aid eligibility for several co-conspirators -- her son, her former fiance, her goddaughter and a cousin -- who were not eligible for aid at the college, according to the government’s statement of facts. https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/former-financial-aid-director-for-reynolds-community-college-pleads-guilty-in-379k-theft-of-student/article_0b3c125c-44fe-5f07-922f-f4d58e955d80.html 71766271-4F60-45B1-B4F3-D66BDA372688 Tue, 22 Mar 2022 10:30:10 -0500 Enrollment Fraud: Despite a request last August from the chancellor’s office that all 116 California Community Colleges report on enrollment fraud involving fake student bots, nearly 40% of campuses failed to submit any information, deepening concerns among the Board of Governors on Monday about the extent of possible wrongdoing and how it may be affecting the system’s plunging enrollment. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-03-22/some-community-colleges-havent-shared-application-fraud-data-months-since-rise-in-bot-enrollment D89AB48A-6A16-43BE-BD40-E08AFEF03D1F Tue, 22 Mar 2022 11:10:24 -0500 Student Loan Fraud: A Louisiana man was convicted on Wednesday of defrauding the federal student loan system of more than $1.4 million in an elaborate scheme that involved posing as students and hiring impersonators to get financial aid he then pocketed. The man obtained grants and loans intended for 180 students by using their personal information to fill out federal financial aid applications and enroll them in classes at Baton Rouge Community College from September 2017 to November 2019, prosecutors said. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/19/us/student-loan-fraud-baton-rouge.html D66EADFA-56C7-4125-A32E-2C464641E179 Sat, 19 Mar 2022 11:09:54 -0500 College Rankings Data: Everyone knows that students buff their résumés when applying to college. But a math professor is accusing Columbia University of buffing its own résumé -- or worse -- to climb the all-important U.S. News & World Report rankings of best universities. Michael Thaddeus, who specializes in algebraic geometry at Columbia, has challenged the university’s No. 2 ranking this year with a statistical analysis that found that key supporting data was "inaccurate, dubious or highly misleading." https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/17/us/columbia-university-rank.html 6C718EF0-0DE7-4BD8-A4A1-DA11D641791E Thu, 17 Mar 2022 10:53:25 -0500 Copyright Infringement: An Orange County professor is suing his students for copyright infringement after finding portions of his exams on a website used for sharing study materials. The lawsuit was filed Friday on behalf of Chapman University Assistant Professor David A. Berkovitz, who is demanding a jury trial for the five unnamed defendants. According to the complaint, Berkovitz in January 2022 found portions of a midterm and final exam he created for his spring 2021 business course on Course Hero, a website where students can access study materials for specific schools and courses. https://ktla.com/news/local-news/chapman-university-professor-sues-students-after-finding-exams-online/ 207805C5-EB02-404D-B4C7-2D1FEBA32ED5 Wed, 16 Mar 2022 11:21:57 -0500 Theft: Two Kentucky men are facing federal charges for allegedly stealing $90,000 worth of catalytic converters, including six from vehicles at two State College businesses and Penn State. According to the indictment filed in Pennsylvania’s Middle District Court, the pair traveled from Kentucky with 22 stolen catalytic converters and picked up two more in Ohio before arriving in State College on December 1. They allegedly stole three of the valuable emissions control devices from trucks at two State College businesses that day and three from vehicles at Penn State’s Office of the Physical Plant lot the following day. https://onwardstate.com/2022/03/15/two-men-accused-of-stealing-vehicle-parts-from-state-college-penn-state-face-federal-charges/ E9E31716-21A4-41FF-9B57-55D09FDE8B6C Tue, 15 Mar 2022 09:03:45 -0500 Fraud: Federal prosecutors have charged the former chief financial officer for the Lander-based Wyoming Catholic College with defrauding a government COVID-19 business relief program, the Wyoming Business Council and a New York investment firm out of millions of dollars by falsely claiming that he had amassed a fortune in a booming gin distillery and hand sanitizer business. Not included in the charges is a $1.1 million federal loan he obtained under the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program, nor the $1.29 million in two PPP loans he secured for Wyoming Catholic College as its chief financial officer. https://wyofile.com/former-wyoming-catholic-college-cfo-charged-in-massive-fraud/ 90E868F6-B145-41F5-B7FD-ED29E4E4744C Sun, 13 Mar 2022 09:20:09 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A grand jury has indicted a former University of Maryland employee in the theft of more than $1 million from the school over a four-year period. The employee was working at U-Md. when, between 2016 and 2020, she "abused her official position and purchasing authority" to defraud the university, the Prince George’s County state’s attorney’s office said in a statement. In total, she is accused of stealing $1,134,887.66. https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/03/09/former-u-md-employee-accused-stealing-11-million-school-indicted-theft-charges/ 7355C400-90A4-4258-8162-9D1774C3F0F1 Wed, 9 Mar 2022 14:04:48 -0600 Plagiarism: The vice chancellor for research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s medical school has admitted to plagiarizing text in an NIH grant application, according to a U.S. federal watchdog. The vice chancellor, who serves as the Kay M. & Van L. Weatherspoon Eminent Distinguished Professor of Genetics at UNC-Chapel Hill as well as vice chancellor for research, "engaged in research misconduct by intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly plagiarizing text" from two guides, material from a company that makes sequencing kits, and a review article, according to the U.S. Office of Research Integrity. https://retractionwatch.com/2022/03/08/unc-chapel-hill-vice-chancellor-admits-to-plagiarism/ CE6A112D-4FF3-4AC5-8782-6DADCDCB3F56 Tue, 8 Mar 2022 09:31:59 -0600 Mail Theft: Late last summer, Ann Lauritsen suspected something fishy might be going on after both she and her mother sent greeting cards to her daughter at Boston University that never arrived. A high school math teacher, she went looking for answers and soon decided she had to take matters into her own hands. Mail theft has spiked in several parts of the U.S. in recent years. While reports of large-scale mail thefts on college campuses are rare, experts say they make for prime targets. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/mail-going-missing-boston-university-one-mother-went-searching-answers-rcna17102 AE065073-3717-4417-96C0-931E8FEC9D0E Sat, 5 Mar 2022 14:08:39 -0600 Occupational Fraud: A former employee has admitted to stealing nearly $50,000 from Miami University using funds he collected as parking operation supervisor, according to the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office. The employee was able to steal using two methods, according to prosecutors. He was given access to card readers, which are digital devices that are used to accept or refund parking payments. He also had access to parking payment kiosks/machines. https://www.journal-news.com/news/ex-miami-university-parking-supervisor-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-nearly-50000/BM7CH5ZDGNENRERV6YGRRFTCW4/ 9B9B8E87-991B-4185-AF22-56CAAF1E0927 Sat, 19 Feb 2022 14:49:18 -0600 Ethics/Due Diligence: A KING 5 investigation found that the largest medical school in the Northwest unwittingly helped supply donated human bodies to a former Seattle man who is now facing criminal charges for abandonment or concealment of a dead body. FutureGenex explained to donors that the company sold their bodies, or parts of them, for use at medical seminars, private educational facilities, and medical device manufacturing firms. KING 5’s investigation found that the FutureGenex owner worked himself into a position where his company would be next in line to receive donated bodies that were rejected by the prestigious University of Washington School of Medicine. https://www.king5.com/article/news/investigations/university-of-washington-unknowingly-helped-jailed-body-broker/281-3ff84ae2-7658-420a-a2b9-b054601e77d5 00703AA6-1AF0-4783-84DA-5EBF39580A41 Mon, 14 Feb 2022 10:26:38 -0600 Fraud: A former University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor has agreed to plead guilty to federal crimes related to a years-long scheme to defraud Chinese graduate students and visiting scholars. According to a plea agreement filed Friday in federal court, in 2016 the professor created UW International Education Foundation LLC, and in 2017 changed its name to Wisconsin International Education LLC. He made promises to foreign students accepted into graduate programs at UWM that his organizations could help them meet various expenses. https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2022/02/11/former-uwm-professor-yue-troy-liu-pleads-guilty-defrauding-chinese-grad-students/6756404001/ 79846B71-7D31-47AD-805D-72D2514EA351 Mon, 14 Feb 2022 10:08:27 -0600 Occupational Fraud: The former director of emergency management at the University of Pittsburgh pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing more than 13,000 pieces of personal protective equipment from the school’s stockpile at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic to sell at inflated prices online. The FBI said the employee netted $18,783.50 from the online PPE sales from Feb. 27, 2020, through March 22, 2020. https://triblive.com/local/north-hills/former-pitt-emergency-management-director-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-ppe-selling-it-online/ FA222114-8442-442A-9910-FC34509B2EB3 Wed, 9 Feb 2022 13:06:06 -0600 Occupational Fraud: The head of security at Florida State University’s Strozier Library was arrested last week and charged with stealing nearly 5,000 rare comic books from a collection worth a half-million dollars. The employee, who had one of only four keys to access the Robert M. Ervin Jr. Collection that consists of comics and serials on superheroes, science fiction, fantasy and horror, sold the stolen property to private buyers and comic book stores for two years, police say. He is charged with grand theft of more than $100,000, fraud, dealing in stolen property and sale of stolen property using the internet, according to court records. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/02/07/florida-university-grand-theft-comics/6697998001/ 501A41B8-EAA4-4602-9C86-4269C858CC26 Mon, 7 Feb 2022 10:10:39 -0600 Financial Aid Fraud: A former Richmond community college director has been charged with stealing student financial aid funds during her more-than-ten year tenure in the position at the school. An indictment alleges that during six years of her employment, from 2011 to 2017, the director falsely procured financial aid for co-conspirators, including her son, ex-fiancé, goddaughter and cousin. https://www.wric.com/news/virginia-news/richmond-community-college-director-of-financial-aid-indicted-for-stealing-student-financial-aid-money/ 19735255-EBFB-4088-B246-8A3103580888 Wed, 2 Feb 2022 15:17:59 -0600 Foreign Ties: A former University of Arkansas professor on Friday pleaded guilty to lying to federal authorities about his financial and business ties to China. Authorities said the professor, who started working at the U of A in 1988, received money and benefits from China at the same time he was receiving federal grants for university projects. He was required to disclose his connections to China under the university's conflict-of-interest policy, but did not. https://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/138662/former-ua-professor-pleads-guilty-to-lying-to-fbi-about-ties-to-china 36B8BFEE-8681-4953-9310-7E33CA2D7C7D Fri, 21 Jan 2022 13:21:27 -0600 Foreign Ties: The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday dropped charges against a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor accused of concealing his ties to China when seeking federal grant money, in the latest setback for a crackdown on Chinese influence on American research. Federal prosecutors in Boston in a court filing said new information had emerged concerning Chinese-born mechanical engineer and nanotechnologist Gang Chen's alleged omissions that undercut the wire fraud and other charges he faced. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-drops-criminal-case-against-case-mit-professor-over-china-ties-2022-01-20/ 002D2F9F-26B3-412D-8EB3-49ECEF405509 Thu, 20 Jan 2022 11:01:17 -0600 Occupational Fraud: A former official of a St. Louis University program pleaded guilty in federal court here Friday to five felony wire fraud charges and admitted orchestrating a $518,000 fraud. In April 2019, the official began creating and submitting false invoices from MoACEP to the university, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ed Dowd said. He then had the payments sent to his personal accounts or to two PayPal accounts he'd set up for the partnership and a vendor, Dowd said. He also used his university credit card to pay a total of $75,405 in fake invoices. https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/former-slu-official-admits-518k-fraud/article_592a33e2-aa9f-53dd-8f99-20a0d25f9ca0.html 61E80DBF-809D-448B-87CA-5EB8B96513E3 Fri, 14 Jan 2022 15:07:39 -0600 Grant Fraud: A former State University of New York professor from Hurley, N.Y., has been accused of stealing $32,000 by forging an application for a grant intended to provide high-need school district K-12 teachers with professional learning opportunities, according to state Inspector General Lucy Lang. The accused was a computer science professor at SUNY Sullivan for 12 years, teaching courses on game development, cybersecurity, and other computer-related topics, Lang said. An investigation by the Inspector General’s Office found that the professor, without permission or authorization, falsely completed and signed a grant application on behalf of SUNY Sullivan, with $32,400 coming directly to her instead of the college, Lang said. https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2022/01/12/ex-suny-sullivan-professor-from-hurley-accused-of-32000-theft/ FF9C351B-74E0-43AD-ABAB-5AEB079D1043 Wed, 12 Jan 2022 10:52:00 -0600 Foreign Ties: A Harvard University professor charged with hiding his ties to a Chinese-run recruitment program was found guilty on all counts Tuesday. The former chair of Harvard’s department of chemistry and chemical biology had pleaded not guilty to two counts of filing false tax returns, two counts of making false statements, and two counts of failing to file reports for a foreign bank account in China. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/harvard-professor-found-guilty-hiding-ties-china-rcna9600 06015565-4453-427B-84F7-B1F54CCA6A12 Mon, 3 Jan 2022 11:16:21 -0600 Corruption: A San Mateo County Community College District vice chancellor has been charged in a wide-ranging corruption scandal, as prosecutors alleged he steered an architectural contract to an unqualified firm, failed to report gifts and campaigned on district time. The charges, announced Tuesday, are the first in a 2½-year investigation into corruption at the district. Prosecutors say the alleged misdeeds go back more than a decade and may involve some of the highest ranking officials at the district. https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/12/21/san-mateo-community-college-vice-chancellor-charged-in-wide-ranging-corruption-case/ BD8C5DF7-1D08-43EB-ABF2-1A45F3CE4414 Mon, 3 Jan 2022 10:48:53 -0600 China Initiative: Inside a Kansas City courtroom, Peter Zeidenberg is growing frustrated. The wiry, gray-haired lawyer isn’t making much headway persuading a judge to throw out evidence obtained as a result of what he calls misconduct by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. His client, Franklin Tao, a former University of Kansas chemical engineering professor facing 20 years in prison, is furiously scribbling notes and passing them to his defense team. "They were looking for a spy, looking for evidence of espionage of trade secrets," Zeidenberg says, his voice rising in exasperation. But they found none, he says, because there wasn’t any. "At the end of the day, they just have a conflict-of-interest form where the box wasn’t checked." https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-12-14/doj-china-initiative-to-catch-spies-prompts-fbi-misconduct-racism-claims 25674933-D7B7-49DA-83BF-D62E2CB1A1CC Tue, 14 Dec 2021 09:51:51 -0600 China Initiative: As a former Harvard Chemistry chair goes on trial on federal charges beginning Tuesday, law and trade experts speculated that his case’s outcome could decide the fate of the Department of Justice’s China Initiative. The professor, charged in January 2020 with making false statements to U.S. government officials regarding his involvement in China’s Thousand Talents Plan -- and four subsequent tax-related felonies -- is the latest person to be brought to trial as part of the DOJ’s China Initiative. The program, launched in 2018 under the Trump administration, aims to curb "trade secret theft, hacking and economic espionage." https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/12/13/experts-mull-lieber-implications/ 5F5FDF63-C2B7-4140-A0BB-9451F1F0BE4F Sun, 12 Dec 2021 11:22:13 -0600 Occupational Fraud: A former East Los Angeles College dean has been charged with embezzlement after allegedly overbilling his employer for trips he went on, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday. The dean faces one felony count each of misappropriation of government funds and embezzlement of government funds. He allegedly overbilled the college about $1,575 for several hotel stays, and is accused of forging documents he submitted for reimbursement between March 2017 and 2019, officials said. https://ktla.com/news/local-news/dean-of-east-l-a-college-charged-with-embezzlement/ 41A5F618-7EBB-43FE-8315-C52B57137464 Thu, 9 Dec 2021 10:34:24 -0600 Occupational Fraud: A long-time employee of the University of Lethbridge (U of L) has declared herself not guilty of defrauding the organization out of a significant amount of money. In March 2018, members of the U of L discovered fraud perpetrated by a fellow employee. The investigation by LPS found that the woman allegedly "abused her detailed knowledge of the financial systems of the U of L and falsified records to conceal the estimated theft of $580,000." https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2021/12/08/lethbridge-woman-pleads-not-guilty-to-stealing-580000-from-u-of-l/ 61CD7DE2-FA80-458C-BD52-FB3D45570CE4 Wed, 8 Dec 2021 09:36:57 -0600 Theft: A man has been charged with four felonies in a case where he is accused of breaking into property at York College and stealing a large amount of copper. The case began when an officer with the York Police Department responded to a possible break-in of a property owned by York College. The officer was advised by a college employee that he found approximately 750-1,000 pounds of copper (both new and used) to be missing. The officer was informed that the man’s deceased brother had worked at York College and may have had keys to the building -- it was uncertain if the keys had been returned after the brother’s death. https://yorknewstimes.com/news/man-accused-of-burglary-stealing-copper-from-york-college/article_58cf95c6-56af-11ec-86b2-f78dc7491714.html AF319921-0E07-4523-B91A-21FA18717B75 Mon, 6 Dec 2021 15:03:50 -0600 Grant Fraud: Washington State University’s (WSU) recent settlement with the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) for more than $800,000 followed a university-wide audit that occurred after a salary of a single NIH-funded principal investigator (PI) was suspected of exceeding an award cap, RRC has learned. WSU was one of two institutions in the Evergreen State to recently settle allegations related to grant fraud. In October, the University of Washington (UW) settled with the Department of Justice (DOJ), agreeing to pay $801,756 to resolve False Claims Act allegations. https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/two-washington-universities-ink-6880758/ 58377D0E-3BF6-40D7-82FF-C3CD9E3D587A Thu, 2 Dec 2021 12:51:54 -0600 Rankings Fraud: A former dean of Temple University’s business school was found guilty on Monday of using fraudulent data between 2014 and 2018 to boost the school’s national rankings and increase revenue, federal prosecutors said. The former dean was convicted of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in a scheme to raise the ranking of the university’s Fox School of Business in Philadelphia, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said in a statement on Monday. The school’s online M.B.A. program was ranked best in the country by U.S. News & World Report in the years that he falsified data. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/29/us/temple-university-moshe-porat-fraud.html EE0327D9-62DC-4319-B111-8CBB74C26BF6 Mon, 29 Nov 2021 08:58:26 -0600 Rankings Fraud: In the three years since it acknowledged that its No. 1-ranked online MBA program achieved that status on the back of phony data, Temple University has paid out millions in legal settlements to former students and government monitors while implementing reforms to put that embarrassing chapter behind it. But as the former dean at the heart of the scandal faces trial this week on federal fraud charges, the university’s Fox School of Business is bracing once again for one of its darkest moments to be pushed back into the spotlight. https://www.inquirer.com/news/temple-university-moshe-porat-fraud-charges-rankings-20211108.html 2F1B89EF-6674-4DDA-8100-C18E8F486AAE Mon, 8 Nov 2021 13:35:56 -0600 Financial Aid Fraud: At least six California community college districts suspect they have given out financial aid to fake students who have enrolled at their colleges this year. At a minimum, the breaches represent a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars to scammers seeking financial aid from California’s community colleges. It’s possible that much more money was delivered to fake students, given that the system’s 115 traditional colleges, enrolling about 1.8 million students, are in the midst of distributing more than $1.6 billion in federal Covid relief aid. https://edsource.org/2021/at-these-california-community-colleges-scammers-got-their-hands-on-financial-aid/663152 45A239D5-CCC9-4691-B285-1BC1165F57F6 Fri, 5 Nov 2021 13:39:32 -0600 Occupational Fraud: An employee at North Carolina Central University in Durham is charged with embezzling close to $1 million from the school, according to an arrest warrant obtained by CBS 17. According to the warrant, the employee embezzled a total of $900,284.59 from N.C. Central’s bookstore and food services department over a period of three years, from Jan. 9, 2018, until April 30 of this year. The woman was employed by the university as a business and technology application analyst and Eagle Card office manager, the warrant shows. https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/durham-county-news/nc-central-employee-charged-with-embezzling-close-to-1-million-from-university/ B0B968FA-35F6-4D42-9BED-BA688B8114B0 Fri, 5 Nov 2021 09:27:10 -0600 Admissions Scandal/Bribery: A former University of Southern California athletic administrator pleaded guilty to being part of a sweeping scheme to get students admitted to prestigious universities as fake athletic recruits, in exchange for bribes. The administrator was the central figure of the scheme at U.S.C., as a senior administrator who oversaw the admissions of athletes for nearly a decade before her indictment in 2019. Court documents said Mr. Singer’s clients made payments of more than $1.3 million into U.S.C. accounts controlled by the administrator over a four-year period, with Mr. Singer later setting up a sham consulting agreement that paid her $20,000 per month. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/05/us/usc-official-varsity-blues-guilty.html 422B6987-43FD-41BA-A24B-0CB148538502 Fri, 5 Nov 2021 09:10:07 -0600 Occupational Fraud: A former University of Arkansas administrative assistant was arrested for theft and fraudulent use of a university credit card. The assistant was arrested in early October after an assistant dean at the university contacted campus police regarding a pair of suspicious charges the assistant allegedly made on university cards. The dean’s initial investigation uncovered approximately 143 unauthorized purchases, totaling approximately $285,000. Further investigation by campus police identified the total number of unauthorized purchases as 248, with the transactions totally approximately $335,000. https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/former-university-of-arkansas-administrative-assistant-arrested-for-fraud-theft-totaling-over-335000/ 4493BB86-F105-4389-927B-974394079582 Mon, 1 Nov 2021 09:24:24 -0500 Burglary: Thousands of COVID-19 test kits have been recovered from Northwestern University students who allegedly stole them from an Evanston campus dormitory. About 4,500 Northwestern-owned COVID-19 test kits were stolen from a secure storage room in a common area of the Foster-Walker Complex at 1927 Orrington Ave., Northwestern University police said in a statement. The burglary was reported 5 p.m. Monday. Most of the test kits were recovered from at least two Northwestern students, police said Tuesday. https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2021/10/27/22749006/northwestern-university-stolen-covid-tests D17DD5A0-03E0-4F82-B83B-9A6D238698E1 Wed, 27 Oct 2021 13:51:18 -0500 Foreign Ties: A civilian professor at the Air Force’s Air War College with a secret level security clearance pleaded guilty this week to lying to federal agents about his contacts with a government official in China. The professor, who is no longer employed at the war college on Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, also hid his attempted recruitment by the Shanghai government official during interviews with the FBI and Office of Personnel Management, according to a plea agreement in the case reached Monday. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/oct/26/ex-air-war-college-professor-access-secrets-pleads/ 67228E08-F5FB-4D5E-BC73-DF40371C6765 Tue, 26 Oct 2021 10:57:37 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A 58-year-old man who used to work as a bursar at City College of New York has been accused of stealing more than 900 checks from students, according to prosecutors. Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance announced Tuesday that the former bursar was charged with grand larceny, scheme to defraud and offering a false instrument for filing after he allegedly pocketed nearly $500,000 in scholarships and other financial awards for approximately 700 students from 2012 to 2019. Prosecutors said he deposited the stolen checks into his personal bank accounts through an ATM and used that money for flights to San Francisco, Jacksonville, Florida, and Italy. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/ex-bursa-at-ny-city-college-accused-of-stealing-more-than-900-checks-from-students-da/3354295/ A3031F0D-2DBC-4057-8C5E-5BD59C189E6F Wed, 27 Oct 2021 10:34:53 -0500 Use of Position for Financial Gain: A Former Oregon State University and LSU president, who resigned just nine months into his OSU tenure over revelations that LSU’s athletics department systematically covered up sexual misconduct allegations under his watch, also appears to have violated Oregon law. He used OSU lawyers to respond to investigators in Louisiana, according to an Oregon Government Ethics Commission report. Oregon state law prohibits public officials from using their position for financial gain. By receiving legal advice from a university attorney, he saved himself the cost of hiring a lawyer to respond to Louisiana investigators, thus violating the law, commission staff wrote. https://lailluminator.com/2021/10/22/former-oregon-state-president-accused-of-using-university-lawyers-to-respond-to-lsu-scandal/ 1E961DBA-E4CD-4988-8A25-86A73CB7CB9E Fri, 22 Oct 2021 10:16:53 -0500 Admissions Scandal/Bribery: A Former Georgetown University head tennis coach pleaded guilty to charges "in connection with soliciting and accepting bribes to facilitate the admission of prospective Georgetown applicants and failing to report all of the income from the bribes on his federal income taxes," according to a news release from the US Attorney's Office for Massachusetts. Prosecutors accused the former coach of soliciting and accepting bribe payments from college admissions consultant Rick Singer and families of prospective applicants to Georgetown to "to facilitate their admission to Georgetown as student athletes" and subsequently failing to report income from bribe payments on his tax returns, the release states. https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/26/us/gordon-ernst-georgetown-guilty-plea/index.html A34C71A3-4942-49D2-B1E5-44C9096C7325 Tue, 26 Oct 2021 11:08:32 -0500 Misuse of Property: A top Augusta University researcher has resigned after allegations of misusing university property for his own gain, which he denies, according to documents obtained by The Augusta Chronicle. In the settlement agreement dated Aug. 24, the university said it had "become aware of information that may support allegations of violations of multiple policies and guidelines of AU by the Employee, to include but not limited to the policies governing use of AU and state property for personal gain, misuse and false statements with regard to outside professional activity and work commitment obligations, dishonesty, undisclosed conflicts of interest" and other allegations "all of which are denied by the employee." https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/2021/10/20/misuse-allegations-lead-augusta-researcher-resigning-denies-fault/8520429002/ 848EBA94-38C6-4FFA-AFC8-DC2DC75F666F Wed, 20 Oct 2021 10:03:01 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A former employee at Manatee Technical College faces two felony charges after she allegedly funneled students’ money into her personal bank account, authorities said. The employee reportedly used her job as a financial aid specialist to steal between $106,000 and $302,000 from low-income students who needed the money to attend MTC, located at 6305 E. State Road 70 in Bradenton. The alleged scheme carried on for more than four years before a wary student reported her last April. https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/crime/article255170697.html AD134B71-9E65-4E3F-BB0B-735A77063454 Thu, 21 Oct 2021 09:18:59 -0500 Fraud: A community college dean and a furniture company’s bookkeeper have been arrested for defrauding the state to access job training funds, according to the latest report from State Auditor Shad White. The arrests are part of broader alleged misuse of $2.3 million in job training money over five years at Itawamba Community College. The case is the latest example of the state’s history of inadequate oversight over several millions of dollars in taxpayer funded workforce development programs. https://mississippitoday.org/2021/10/18/itawamba-community-college-2-million-job-training/ 83686C90-509D-4619-B56E-B262D9222913 Mon, 18 Oct 2021 10:30:53 -0500 Acquittal: The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has offered to reinstate a professor who was acquitted of federal charges that had accused him of hiding his relationship with a Chinese university while receiving NASA research grants, a letter obtained by the Knoxville News Sentinel says. The newspaper reports that in the Oct. 14 letter, Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor John Zomchick offered a tenured engineering professor job to to the professor, along with some back pay, and payment for an immigration attorney. The professor also was offered $200,000 over three years to reestablish his research program, and an explanation of the university’s support for his work visa as a naturalized Canadian citizen, according to the report. https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-education-arrests-tennessee-51e167f211f59ae991ca24119d94f8a4 7A45DEAD-2AC3-469F-A79C-9C7950E6EF6B Sun, 17 Oct 2021 10:42:50 -0500 Bribery: A Los Angeles City Councilman was indicted Wednesday on federal charges that he took bribes from a USC dean in exchange for directing millions of dollars in public funding to the university when he was on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. The councilman is accused of conspiring with a former dean of USC’s School of Social Work, to steer county money to the university in return for admitting his son into the graduate school with a full-tuition scholarship and a paid professorship. The alleged kickback scheme is the latest in a string of scandals that has marred USC’s reputation in recent years. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-13/mark-ridley-thomas-usc-dean-bribery-indictment 0CEECE9D-2683-4947-B905-206CF7CCDF2F Wed, 13 Oct 2021 13:44:03 -0500 Grant Fraud Settlement: The University of Washington has agreed to pay more than $800,000 to settle Justice Department allegations that a professor submitted false documentation relating to a highly competitive grant. The documents misrepresented the involvement of two researchers who in reality were not involved in the work, the university said in an emailed statement. That could have made the grant application more attractive. The university was awarded about $1.4 million for the work, which concerned how biology interacts with man-made solids at the molecular level, according to NSF records. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/technology/article254965172.html D73788FF-9EC3-4166-8E7F-79B427E86AB2 Wed, 13 Oct 2021 11:02:29 -0500 Racketeering: A former member of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents pleaded guilty to racketeering Thursday and was sentenced to eight years in prison. The former regent, who resigned from the board in 2019, admitted he took part in a scheme in which he sold fake accounts receivable invoices. In a common business practice known as "factoring," businesses may sell their accounts receivable to a third party at a discount. The goal of the scheme was to obtain approximately $1.7 million by selling fake accounts receivable invoices valued at about $2.2 million. https://www.onlineathens.com/story/news/2021/10/08/ex-university-system-georgia-regent-pleads-guilty-racketeering-dean-alford/6051202001/ 5B61F53E-B880-4EE3-92F9-02DF9821ADEC Fri, 8 Oct 2021 15:01:30 -0500 Plagiarism: Faculty members at West Liberty University recently accused the president of the university of plagiarizing multiple sources in several public speeches and presentations. The president, who started at the West Virginia public university in January, first drew ire from faculty members and students for plagiarism in his fall convocation speech on Sept. 15. "During the convocation, several faculty members were looking at each other and talking about how some things just didn’t quite sound right," said a West Liberty faculty member who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution. "People started actually googling during the convocation speech -- faculty and students, from what I saw -- and, long story short, people started just reading along." https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/10/05/west-liberty-president-plagiarized-several-speeches 7C4335B4-186A-44E6-82D3-1AE1319858FF Tue, 5 Oct 2021 14:36:30 -0500 Financial Ethics: In the last two years of his presidency, a former Kentucky State University head spent more than $73,000 on his university-issued credit card, a majority of which went toward flights and hotels. Destinations included the Bahamas, Las Vegas, California and Cancun among others. The spending took place as the school’s finances were hurtling toward what newly appointed Chief Financial Officer Greg Rush called a "$15 million problem." According to Rush’s recent presentation to state legislators, the school anticipates a $15.7 million shortfall for this fiscal year. https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2021/10/05/ex-kentucky-state-university-head-charged-pricey-travel-school-credit-card/6005238001/ 7527387C-B9EA-40F4-B58A-683FA34576CA Tue, 5 Oct 2021 11:27:01 -0500 Occupational Fraud: Three former Tuskegee University employees have been arrested after an investigation into an apparent fraud scheme, according to the university. In a letter, President Charlotte Morris said the university learned in January 2020 of "financial irregularities involving grant payments in certain university fund accounts." The university conducted an investigation and worked with law enforcement, she said, and confirmed "several former employees had conducted a multiyear scheme to defraud Tuskegee of approximately $500,000 by diverting grants and university-owned funds." https://www.al.com/crime/2021/10/three-arrested-after-discovery-of-fraud-scheme-tuskegee-university-says.html F1A4BFB7-351F-4B36-A775-ECE0FEA2BA03 Fri, 1 Oct 2021 14:54:47 -0500 Misuse of Grant Funds: Acting United States Attorney G. Norman Acker, III, and AmeriCorps OIG today announced settlements with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, East Carolina University, and the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service requiring the total payment of $842,500 to the United States for alleged false claims for AmeriCorps grant funds. Based on its investigation, the United States contends that UNC-CH, ECU, and NCCV caused false certifications for service hours worked and related violations of grant requirements in connection with grant funds paid from 2014 through 2019. The United States contends that these actions constituted a misuse of grant funds and harmed AmeriCorps programs. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/united-states-reaches-842500-settlement-two-public-universities-and-north-carolina 5549BFA4-D972-47C5-98B0-AA027A30F05F Tue, 21 Sep 2021 10:27:13 -0500 Phone/Email Scams: Four scams in the last 10 days--one involving elaborate videoconferencing and caller ID spoofing--have defrauded BU students of thousands of dollars, in one case $150,000. The Boston University Police Department (BUPD) is strongly suggesting protective precautions by students. "Some schemes are designed to capitalize on a fear of not cooperating with government authorities and many seem to target the Asian community," the BUPD says in an email sent to the University community Thursday. Two of the incidents involved phone scammers claiming to be Chinese government officials. https://www.bu.edu/articles/2021/phone-email-scams-target-asian-other-bu-students/ 536A3B29-3FF4-4231-8A24-B84C4787465F Mon, 20 Sep 2021 11:45:18 -0500 Theft: Toronto police are searching for a woman who allegedly stole a truck from the University of Toronto early Saturday morning. Police said officers responded to a call for a stolen truck in the area of St. George Street and Sussex Avenue at around 4 a.m. Investigators said a woman rode her bike into an underground parking lot before allegedly breaking into an office and stealing keys to the truck. She then fled the area in the white 2014 Nissan Frontier extended cab pick up truck. Police said the truck is also adorned with the University of Toronto emblem bearing Ontario marker #AH 72949. https://globalnews.ca/news/8202951/toronto-police-university-of-toronto-stolen-truck/ C747CFFE-5030-4902-B385-5E57F4FDB62B Sun, 19 Sep 2021 10:11:26 -0500 Admissions Scandal/Bribery: The former head coach of men and women’s tennis at Georgetown University has agreed to plead guilty in connection with soliciting and accepting bribes to facilitate the admission of prospective Georgetown applicants and failing to report a significant portion of those bribe payments on his federal income taxes. As set forth in the charging document, the coach solicited and received bribe payments from William "Rick" Singer and prospective Georgetown applicants to facilitate their admission to Georgetown as student athletes. The coach then failed to report a significant portion of those bribe payments on his federal income tax returns. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/former-georgetown-head-tennis-coach-agrees-plead-guilty-college-admissions-case 100E7F29-FBE6-418D-AE83-A9CDABDD93F0 Wed, 15 Sep 2021 10:48:32 -0500 Conspiracy & Money Laundering: A former University of Miami professor, his wife and his sister are facing federal charges related to purchasing genetic sequencing equipment from U.S. manufacturers and illegally shipping it to Iran, prosecutors said. The professor, his wife, and his sister made their initial appearances Tuesday in Miami federal court, according to court records. All three are charged with conspiring to commit an offense against the United States and conspiring to commit money laundering, as well as several other charges. https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/former-university-of-miami-professor-charged-with-sending-equipment-to-iran/2550874/ C7893D49-B153-47E8-A2BF-A99D77444D0C Wed, 15 Sep 2021 11:14:08 -0500 Financial Ethics: Fayetteville State University administrators violated policy and acted unethically in landscaping contracts worth nearly $2 million, a state audit investigation shows. The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor investigated the "fraud, waste, and abuse allegations" and presented the findings in a report released Wednesday. The report concluded that the contracts did not get required approvals per university policy and that one administrator circumvented the rules to move them forward. The report revealed incomplete policies, administrators’ lack of knowledge and a failure to "demonstrate a commitment to integrity and ethical values" at FSU. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article254079773.html 70F7DD5E-5E45-4F67-9DA0-3C3A52FE350A Wed, 8 Sep 2021 09:25:44 -0500 Money Laundering: A former administrator at the Yale School of Medicine was charged with fraud and money laundering after stealing up to $30 million from the school in an elaborate scheme of purchasing and reselling computer hardware. The administrator, who most recently served as the director of finance and administration for Yale’s Department of Emergency Medicine, orchestrated an eight-year money laundering scheme to steal computer hardware from the School of Medicine. She started working for Yale in 2008 and, at most, five years later began to illegally purchase and resell the hardware using funds from the School of Medicine. https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2021/09/07/in-eight-year-scheme-former-medical-school-employee-charged-with-stealing-millions-from-yale/ A62EA058-BE91-49CD-9CE9-49A9330D6D97 Tue, 7 Sep 2021 09:32:02 -0500 Billing Fraud: The federal government has accused the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the head of its cardiothoracic surgery department of fraudulently billing Medicare and Medicaid for complex surgeries. The complaint, filed Thursday in federal court in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, claims that UPMC has regularly allowed James Luketich to book as many as three complex surgeries at the same time, going back and forth between patients and not participating in key parts of the surgeries, while keeping patients under unnecessary anesthesia. https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-accuses-upmc-leading-surgeon-billing-fraud-2021-09-02/ AB44BBBC-BA78-41B7-82F7-99E246996939 Thu, 2 Sep 2021 08:52:32 -0500 Financial Aid Scam: California student aid official Patrick Perry was beginning a routine check of federal financial aid records a few weeks ago when he came across a mystifying number: 60,000 more aid applications from a particular group of students this year than last. They were first-time applicants to California community colleges who were older than 30, earned less than $40,000 annually and were seeking a two-year degree rather than a vocational certificate. They were spread out across the state, applying to 105 of the 116 campuses in the California Community Colleges system -- with the top number at Cerritos, Pasadena, Chaffey, Merced and Antelope Valley. And their applications began surging in May through mid-August. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-01/california-college-financial-aid-scam-fake-students 6F9F026D-7284-454C-B9D1-83334A5DC8A9 Wed, 1 Sep 2021 14:50:50 -0500 Identity Theft: A woman's been sentenced to four years in prison, in a money laundering case involving dozens of University of Iowa employees. Investigators say Florence Rosale Julio of Brunswick, Georgia used University of Iowa employee information to get nearly a half million dollars in tax refunds. The overall scheme involved more than $1,400,000 in fraudulently obtained funds passed through the accounts in 2015. The Internal Revenue Service says she laundered money in bank accounts, which were opened under a fictitious name. Investigators say she also bought a new Mercedes Benz. https://whoradio.iheart.com/content/2021-09-01-woman-gets-prison-time-for-stealing-university-of-iowa-employee-info/ 1243BDD8-402A-4AC2-9BFD-12CF4097B3C4 Wed, 1 Sep 2021 14:47:45 -0500 Academic Fraud: As college moved online in the COVID-19 crisis, many universities are reporting increases, sometimes dramatic ones, in academic misconduct. At Virginia Commonwealth University, reports of academic misconduct soared during the 2020-21 school year, to 1,077 -- more than three times the previous year's number. At the University of Georgia, cases more than doubled; from 228 in the fall of 2019 to more than 600 last fall. And, at The Ohio State University, reported incidents of cheating were up more than 50% over the year before. https://www.npr.org/2021/08/27/1031255390/reports-of-cheating-at-colleges-soar-during-the-pandemic A5D171EF-74AF-4FF2-8A7B-DA3B6D23AB83 Fri, 27 Aug 2021 16:07:40 -0500 Academic Fraud: Eighteen midshipmen have been expelled or resigned from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., after an investigation concluded they cheated on a remote physics exam in December 2020, according to school officials. On that month, 653 midshipmen took the final exam for General Physics I through the online platform myopenmath.com in order to limit in-person contact during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a statement from the academy released Friday. Officials said students, who were mostly sophomores, were given written and verbal instructions prohibiting them from using any "outside sources to complete the exam, including other websites." https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/18-midshipmen-exit-u-s-naval-academy-following-cheating-scandal-n1277366 D435719F-5EA7-44EA-89D1-32BE7051DFE0 Sat, 21 Aug 2021 09:31:47 -0500 Occupational Fraud: An accounting manager formerly employed by the University of South Florida’s University Medical Services Association has accepted a plea agreement on a felony charge of embezzling millions from the university. The manager hatched a plan to use UMSA credit cards to buy things without permission, for his own benefit and stole millions of dollars. Documents show that starting in June 2014, he planned to and then did obtain more than $12 million through the scheme, according to the documents detailing the charge. https://www.wfla.com/8-on-your-side/usf-accounting-manager-ralph-puglisi-pleads-guilty-to-embezzling-millions-from-university/ B296B9A2-C3E9-4E9E-BF57-04457F6061EA Thu, 12 Aug 2021 14:09:08 -0500 Financial Controls: State auditors found Roanoke-Chowan Community College issued more than $10.3 million in checks with invalid signatures between August 2019 and August 2020, putting the school at increased risk of fraud. A report released Friday by the Office of State Auditor Beth Wood said the college didn’t have proper policies and procedures in place to detect that the checks bore signatures of former employees. The school issued 2,644 checks during the examination period containing digital signatures of the former college president and controller, even though they were no longer employed by Roanoke-Chowan. https://www.dailyadvance.com/auditors-find-clerical-errors-boosting-risk-of-fraud-at-community-college/article_61859a2f-085f-5552-b231-2f315e545d79.html A27DA8E8-47D0-40BA-86D9-36BB3F366D3B Mon, 9 Aug 2021 10:44:18 -0500 Bribery: One math lesson a professor taught at Baltimore City Community College was, according to prosecutors, pretty simple: $150 for a C; $250 for a B; and $500 for an A. And in some courses, an A could go for as little as $300. Over the course of seven months last year, the professor solicited bribes from 112 students, and received 10 payments from nine students, totaling $2,815, the Maryland attorney general, Brian E. Frosh, said in a statement on Thursday. In another scheme, the professor sold online access codes that enabled students to view instructional material and complete assignments, prosecutors said. From 2013 to 2020, he sold 694 access codes for about $90 each. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/05/us/math-professor-bribe-baltimore.html B340EF5F-B726-4A55-A096-72EE70A994B7 Thu, 5 Aug 2021 10:35:41 -0500 Espionage: The Justice Department is taking another shot at prosecuting a former University of Tennessee professor whose career and reputation were ruined by a false spy claim leveled by the previous administration. A jury earlier this year deadlocked on the issue of the professor’s guilt, delivering the first public blow to the Trump administration’s highly-touted "China Initiative" -- a campaign to expose Chinese spies operating in America that instead targeted Chinese academics working in American universities. https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2021/08/02/tennessee-professor-anming-hu-accused-spying-faces-second-trial/5457371001/ BD536DE7-5D75-4E21-8FBE-DFE37E39E294 Mon, 2 Aug 2021 10:13:54 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A woman accused of stealing more than $300,000 from the University of California, Los Angeles while working as a fund manager at the school’s history department pleaded no contest on Monday, officials announced. In July 2018, officials at the university’s history department found that the manager had created fake purchase orders for electronic equipment, prosecutors said. Officials later discovered that she had previously submitted 45 separate fraudulent travel reimbursements between May 2013 and October 2017. All that money, however, went to her personal checking account, prosecutors said. https://ktla.com/news/local-news/carson-woman-pleads-no-contest-to-stealing-336000-from-ucla/ FB67F1F5-E09C-4D94-8889-64228FEE6C48 Mon, 26 Jul 2021 14:07:59 -0500 Illegal Donations: A decade of donations from a Utah man helped Utah State University build a sparkling new concert hall on campus. But the donor was being generous with other people’s money, federal and state authorities allege, contending that more than 1,000 victims lost millions to his silver trading enterprise. They’re calling it one of the largest Ponzi schemes in Utah history. After a few years of contributions, the man gave a total of $544,806 to that effort that the court’s receivers could track came from the alleged Ponzi scheme. https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2021/07/22/how-lds-church-utah-state/ 29C4335C-63DD-4BBD-90B2-ECA991999C20 Thu, 22 Jul 2021 09:35:24 -0500 Donation Fraud: The $10-million donation from an anonymous donor was the largest gift in the history of Wyoming Catholic College, and school leaders looked forward to using the funds to expand facilities at the campus in downtown Lander, located in the central part of the state. But as architectural plans were completed, with the goal of starting construction by summer’s end, Wyoming Catholic College president Glenn Arbery learned that the school’s CFO faced allegations of fraud, and the claim raised questions about the origins and legality of the large donation that had stirred such hopes. https://www.ncregister.com/news/wyoming-catholic-college-former-cfo-accused-of-15-million-fraud-scam CB5B85C1-C0EC-4EAC-B322-393F948B7812 Tue, 13 Jul 2021 10:18:36 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A Lenexa man has been sentenced to two years in prison after stealing more than $556,000 from the University of Kansas Medical Center and other institutions, the U.S. Attorney's office in Kansas announced Wednesday. Federal prosecutors said the man also stole money from the KUMC Research Institute and the KU Endowment. The man was the administrative officer at the KUMC Occupational Therapy Education Department from 2009 to August 2015. He also stole about $30,000 from KUMC Research Institute and KU Endowment by submitting falsified invoices for which he was paid. He then filed false federal tax returns, resulting in a loss of more than $104,000 from 2009 to 2015. https://www.kake.com/story/44166318/kansas-man-sentenced-for-stealing-from-kansas-medical-center 32A8ACF2-79C1-4F39-9473-E1C9866B615A Wed, 23 Jun 2021 09:35:14 -0500 Student Aid Fraud: A criminal complaint has been filed charging a 42 year old man of Clinton, Maryland, for the federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to fraudulently obtain student aid. The affidavit alleges that between 2005 and 2021, the former advisor has fraudulently obtained federal student aid on behalf of Student Participants, who enrolled in at least eight universities. Student Participants in the ring allegedly received federal student aid but were not legitimate students as they lacked the intent to earn a degree. As part of the scheme, Student Participants allegedly either allowed their personally identifiable information (PII) to be used on student loan financial forms or their PII was used without their knowledge, making them victims of identity theft. https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/former-university-financial-advisor-facing-federal-charges-wire-fraud CDDC01FE-FC50-40C7-A26D-ACC16594DE6A Fri, 11 Jun 2021 11:05:12 -0500 Wire Fraud: A now-suspended researcher at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville was arrested by federal agents following the return of a grand jury’s indictment. The indictment alleges that beginning in 2016, the researcher was part of a scheme to defraud the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) by hiding his affiliation with the Beijing University of Technology (BJUT), which is located in China. Federal law prohibits NASA from using federal funds on projects in collaboration with China or that of Chinese universities. https://www.texomashomepage.com/news/university-of-tennessee-researcher-arrested-on-federal-charges-for-wire-fraud-making-false-statements/ 289C582F-0600-41C6-BA54-A24E69A5EDFB Mon, 7 Jun 2021 11:18:24 -0500 Theft: Police have arrested a 31-year-old man suspected of stealing a yellow box truck that had $77,000 worth of medications inside. Around 9 a.m. Saturday morning, police say the man stole an unmarked yellow box truck, which contained 11 totes of medications, from the parking lot of the Huntsman Mental Health Institute., formerly known as "UNI" (University Neuropsychiatric Institute). https://kutv.com/news/77000-worth-of-prescription-meds-stolen-from-university-of-utah-police-seek-suspect 9DF04FCF-C293-48EE-94C8-DF0E04EAE11C Sat, 22 May 2021 14:43:50 -0500 Extortion: A former assistant men’s basketball coach threatened to expose violations of N.C.A.A. rules at Louisville, where he spent several years as an assistant coach, unless the university paid him more than a year’s worth of salary, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Michael A. Bennett, the acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, said in court papers that the coach had met with Louisville officials on March 17 and "threatened to report to the media allegations that the University of Louisville men’s basketball program had violated National College Athletic Association rules in its production of recruiting videos for prospective student-athletes and in its use of graduate assistants in practices." https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/18/sports/ncaabasketball/dino-gaudio-louisville-extortion.html AC0D1F94-DF73-4E54-99CF-14F4AA4549A7 Tue, 18 May 2021 08:41:49 -0500 Occupational Fraud: The former Unity College employee convicted of stealing more than $500,000 from her employer -- money she used to gamble at casinos, go on a Carnival cruise, pay utilities and much more -- was sentenced Tuesday to two years imprisonment in a federal penitentiary. The woman told U.S. District Court Judge John Woodcock she was remorseful for her actions during her sentencing hearing, which took place over Zoom. But remorse wasn’t enough, the judge said. https://bangordailynews.com/2021/05/18/news/midcoast/former-unity-college-employee-will-spend-2-years-in-prison-after-taking-more-than-500k-from-the-school/ B1A0E459-0011-4EF9-85BE-349B6CF604D7 Tue, 18 May 2021 08:38:06 -0500 Research Fraud Sentence: An Ohio man and rheumatology professor and researcher with strong ties to China was sentenced to 37 months in prison for making false statements to federal authorities as part of an immunology research fraud scheme. As part of his sentence, the researcher was also ordered to pay more than $3.4 million in restitution to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and approximately $413,000 to The Ohio State University. The man pleaded guilty last November and admitted he lied on applications in order to use approximately $4.1 million in grants from NIH to develop China’s expertise in the areas of rheumatology and immunology. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/university-researcher-sentenced-prison-lying-grant-applications-develop-scientific-expertise D5626F5D-1716-43C5-AEDE-E679D534E9D1 Fri, 14 May 2021 09:47:47 -0500 Plagiarism: University of South Carolina President Bob Caslen admitted plagiarizing a portion of the speech he delivered during an on-campus graduation ceremony on May 7, issuing an apology three days later and taking full responsibility for not citing its original speaker. Caslen delivered the copycat remarks to graduates of USC’s Arnold School of Public Health, School of Music and the Darla Moore School of Business. He repeated the unattributed remarks during at least one other ceremony, held the morning of May 8. Caslen’s address was already achieving viral status before the plagiarism came to light due to the president also having bungled the school’s name during the ceremony, mistakenly congratulating the graduates as the "newest alumni of The University of California." https://www.postandcourier.com/columbia/news/usc-president-apologizes-admits-to-plagiarizing-end-of-commencement-speech/article_1e99acec-b1a1-11eb-80bc-170da00a3a8c.html D9C5AF03-7B2E-4614-9EB2-43BC0D7957B6 Mon, 10 May 2021 09:33:00 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A former Tennessee College of Applied Technology employee has been charged with stealing more than $60,000 from the school. The employee was indicted Monday on a theft charge in Carter County, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said. She surrendered to authorities Wednesday. Carrier was the coordinator of financial services for the technology college in Elizabethton, the TBI said. Agents found financial discrepancies involving refunds to student accounts between February 2018 and April 2019, the state police agency said. https://www.citizentribune.com/news/state/woman-charged-with-stealing-from-tech-college/article_d4380096-af47-11eb-9841-cbd6ba43052a.html 5D03C540-675F-4545-84FF-A80DC6279D1C Fri, 7 May 2021 10:31:03 -0500 Racketeering/Forgery: A Former Board of Regents member was indicted Tuesday on several charges involving allegations he ran a Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of several million dollars, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s office announced Tuesday. the man was charged with five counts of forgery, one count of racketeering, one count of computer forgery and one count of criminal attempt. https://www.ajc.com/education/former-georgia-regent-indicted-on-racketeering-forgery-charges/2O6SBJGU3FHDBIO3GQXDVLTWWE/ F9B85684-F38A-46AB-BA9B-4AA62DA45D13 Wed, 5 May 2021 11:18:03 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A 57-year-old Lethbridge woman faces fraud, theft and possession of stolen property charges following a police investigation into missing funds at the University of Lethbridge. According to Lethbridge Police Service officials, the investigation began in 2018 after university staff detected potential fraud and notified police. Members of the LPS economic crimes unit determined the employee had falsified records to conceal the disappearance of more than $500,000. The funds were allegedly stolen over the period of a year. https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/employee-accused-of-stealing-more-than-500k-from-university-of-lethbridge-1.5405971 557324C9-47C8-4FCE-A1B5-D79188D7454D Sat, 1 May 2021 10:36:15 -0500 Ethics: More than 35 years after 11 bodies were found in the rubble of the MOVE rowhome, new questions have emerged over how two universities treated the remains of one victim. The remains, never conclusively identified, were turned over to a University of Pennsylvania professor by an official investigative commission for additional forensic examination shortly after the 1985 disaster on Osage Avenue. Ever since, the material has been shuttled back and forth between Penn and Princeton University. The remains -- a pelvic bone and part of a femur -- were initially subjected to detailed analysis by Penn anthropology professor Alan Mann and kept at the Penn Museum. https://www.inquirer.com/news/move-bombing-victim-remains-penn-philadelphia-princeton-20210421.html DF12D7DD-2C9F-4CF0-B547-FC9F31CD1596 Wed, 21 Apr 2021 08:49:46 -0500 Grant Fraud: Today, a federal grand jury in Carbondale, Ill. returned an indictment charging a mathematics professor and researcher at Southern Illinois University -- Carbondale (SIUC) with two counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. According to court documents, Mingqing Xiao, 59, of Makanda, Illinois, fraudulently obtained $151,099 in federal grant money from the National Science Foundation (NSF) by concealing support he was receiving from the Chinese government and a Chinese university. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/mathematics-professor-and-university-researcher-indicted-grant-fraud E76EC1BF-B1D6-4975-8F8B-09378CDA079D Wed, 21 Apr 2021 10:10:26 -0500 Fraud: Denis Onderi Makori of Cobb County, Georgia, has been indicted for laundering more than $2 million from an unspecified university in Pennsylvania. According to the Department of Justice, Makori and various other individuals used a business email compromise (BEC) scheme that led the university to unknowingly transfer over $2 million to the bank accounts that he allegedly controlled. From there, he "moved and laundered the funds between and among bank accounts associated with his logistics company, and then to bank accounts in Kenya, to himself, and to other persons associated with him." https://thecollegepost.com/fraud-scheme-pennsylvania-university/ 8F945452-FACD-42C9-A4E0-D27F0896208F Wed, 21 Apr 2021 10:35:06 -0500 Public Funds Management: Alumni, faculty and legal observers are expressing outrage over Oregon Health & Science University’s selection of former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder at the astonishing hourly rate of more than $2,000 an hour to examine the medical school’s handling of sexual misconduct and discrimination complaints. They’ve raised questions as to whether OSHU adhered to public contracting laws, whether the university used a competitive selection process with a request for proposals and if not, why not. The agreement apparently doesn’t include a cap on the overall amount, a common standard for public contract offers. OHSU says none of those contracting laws apply to them. https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2021/04/former-ag-eric-holders-2295-an-hour-rate-for-ohsu-investigation-drawing-outrage.html 4635F1DE-888B-46D1-84F4-6B004783E32C Tue, 20 Apr 2021 10:56:47 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A former college director is facing charges after allegedly stealing nearly $45,000. Panama City Police say former Gulf Coast State College Executive Director Margaret "Margie" Mazur had undocumented charges on a college credit card. They say the transactions dated back to 2018. The charges reportedly had nothing to do with college business and had no documentation to back them up. Mazur was placed on administrative leave last November and resigned shortly after. She turned herself in on Wednesday and has been charged with grand theft. Officials say additional charges could come and the investigation is ongoing. https://www.wjhg.com/2021/04/16/former-gulf-coast-state-college-director-accused-of-grand-theft/ 07FFA740-41C9-4754-82E1-7AFAC8117486 Fri, 16 Apr 2021 14:22:57 -0500 False Information Fraud: Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced during a press conference today that Moshe Porat, the former Dean of Temple University’s Richard J. Fox School of Business and Management ("Fox"), has been indicted on charges that he conspired and schemed to deceive the school’s applicants, students, and donors into believing that the school offered top-ranked business degree programs, so they would pay tuition and make donations to Temple. The Indictment charges Porat with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/former-temple-business-school-dean-indicted-fraud 71CDDD51-469F-4A85-8704-F67641930007 Fri, 16 Apr 2021 09:50:16 -0500 Occupational Fraud: Prosecutors in Idaho have charged the former University of Idaho associate director of alumni relations with multiple felonies after he was accused of allegedly spending more than $2,700 in unauthorized transactions on his university purchase card. Tim Helmke, 49, of Moscow was charged with one count of misuse of public money by a public employee and two counts of forgery relating to purchases made between 2019 and 2020, The Moscow-Pullman Daily News reported. A probable cause affidavit said Helmke spent $2,768.34 at a Moscow Bear Boosters auction, Moscow Chamber of Commerce auction and Best Western Plus University Inn trivia night, as well as on theater tickets and books. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/idaho/articles/2021-03-30/ex-idaho-university-employee-faces-money-misuse-charges CE0B2561-45CC-4901-B7EC-EAA39C83BF4A Wed, 31 Mar 2021 10:08:52 -0500 Embezzlement: A former director of Southern University’s "Human Jukebox" marching band was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison and ordered to pay back more than $78,000 in restitution to the school, an attorney representing the man confirmed to WAFB. Attorney Karl Bernard confirmed his client, Nathan Haymer, was sentenced in federal court in Baton Rouge on Tuesday, March 30. The ordered restitution is in addition to the $34,081 Haymer paid the university after his employment was terminated. https://www.wafb.com/2021/03/30/former-southern-university-band-director-sentenced-months-federal-prison-ordered-pay-back-money/ 1AE5B59A-12AB-4D85-8CAF-51F6AA8F7098 Wed, 31 Mar 2021 10:07:41 -0500 Occupational Fraud: A former high-level employee at the university of Pittsburgh is accused of stealing and selling 13,000 pieces of the school's supply of coronavirus personal protective equipment online. He's accused of making nearly $19,000 off the stolen PPE. Christopher Casamento was federally indicted for allegedly stealing more than 13,000 pieces of personal protective equipment from Pitt and selling them on his e-bay account at the beginning of the pandemic. https://local21news.com/news/local/university-of-pittsburgh-official-charged-with-stealing-profiting-off-schools-face-masks A0979250-BDAA-4F98-BC67-D3349AC3AAF8 Thu, 25 Mar 2021 10:27:02 -0500 Visa Fraud: A Georgia Tech professor has been charged by federal officials with visa and wire fraud charges. Investigators say 73-year-old Gee-Kung Chang abused the J-1 Visa program in order to arrange for Chinese nationals to come and work in the U.S. According to information presented in court, Chang worked with 53-year-old Jianjun Yu, who was a research director at a partially state-owned Chinese telecommunications and IT company in New Jersey to allegedly bring Chinese nationals to the U.S. to conduct research for the company. https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/georgia-tech-professor-indicted-on-visa-and-wire-fraud-charges 3618EAAA-07B2-4F21-BB94-705CD2285794 Thu, 25 Mar 2021 10:21:50 -0500 Occupational Fraud: Former Stanford employee Patricia Castaneda and her brother, Eric Castaneda, were charged with stealing over 800 laptops from the School of Humanities and Sciences on Feb. 8. During her time at Stanford, Patricia Castaneda was tasked with ordering laptops for staff and faculty at the School of Humanities and Sciences, according to court documents. She allegedly abused her position to purchase laptops to sell to an individual she met on Craigslist. Patricia Castaneda stole over $4 million worth of laptops from the University, while her brother is charged with thefts of up to $2.3 million, DOJ documents state. https://www.stanforddaily.com/2021/03/23/siblings-plead-guilty-to-stealing-over-6-million-in-laptops/ FEE60BEB-2B64-4FD9-89A1-EAB6416E898E Tue, 23 Mar 2021 10:25:14 -0500 Tax Fraud: A Georgia man was sentenced to 24 months in prison last week for a 2015 tax fraud refund scheme in which he used information from dozens of University of Iowa employees. Edoghogho Collins Oloton, 33, of Sandy Springs, Georgia, was sentenced for conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with a scheme to obtain federal tax refunds by fraud using university employees' information, according to a news release earlier this week. https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2021/03/12/university-of-iowa-employee-information-used-in-irs-tax-fraud-scheme/4655925001/ 8236D017-81D0-4521-9E6D-E064955A1C76 Fri, 12 Mar 2021 11:45:11 -0500 Theft: Two students at the Middle Tennessee State University have been indicted in stealing $114,000 from the university. An investigation conducted by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury along with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation determined that the students, Mohamed Gure and Mohamed Osman, stole a total of $114,145 from the university between Nov. 2017 and Nov. 2020. Officials say the students’ primary scheme was to submit false and fabricated invoices to misappropriate Student Activity Fee money. https://www.wvlt.tv/2021/03/10/mtsu-students-accused-of-stealing-114000-from-university/ C894784C-1D3A-49E2-8255-2AD623F72B6C Wed, 10 Mar 2021 11:07:06 -0600 Visa/Admissions Fraud: The second of two defendants accused of using bogus transcripts and ghostwritten essays to help foreigners gain admission to U.S. colleges, allowing the applicants to fraudulently obtain student visas, has surrendered to federal authorities, prosecutors said. Yi Chen, 33, of Monrovia pleaded not guilty Monday to charges in a 21-count grand jury indictment that alleges conspiracy, visa fraud and aggravated identity theft, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement. His co-defendant, Yixin Li, 28, of San Gabriel surrendered March 2 and also pleaded not guilty. The two Southern California men are accused in a scheme to get foreigners into colleges, which allowed them to fraudulently get visas to enter or remain in the United States, prosecutors said. https://ktla.com/news/local-news/2-san-gabriel-valley-men-accused-in-student-visa-fraud-college-admissions-scheme/ D675B110-966F-451F-B10F-456C87D2FD97 Tue, 9 Mar 2021 10:18:07 -0600 Occupational Fraud: It is a huge loss: $307,000 missing from parking machines managed by UAB Transportation. That's money the public and workers pay to park in university owned decks and lots. The theft was revealed publicly in documents from the State Examiners of Public Accounts released this month with financial information dating back to 2017. UAB told ABC3340 News it fired two employees. One was charged and ordered to pay restitution of $750. To date only about $300 has been recovered. The theft was uncovered in an internal audit. https://abc3340.com/news/abc-3340-news-iteam/audit-finds-307000-stolen-from-uab-parking-machines 5A77FB42-8759-4B75-8D0B-974AABC1DB16 Tue, 2 Mar 2021 11:01:30 -0600 Research Security: A U.S. national security commission is recommending that American universities take steps to prevent sensitive technology from being stolen by the Chinese military, a sign of growing concerns over the security of academic research. The fresh recommendations come as the United States pushes ahead with the prosecution of at least five Chinese researchers arrested last year in various cities across the United States on charges of visa fraud for not disclosing ties to the Chinese military. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-universities-idUSKCN2AT0WB 89B1DF30-C541-4021-B833-E752F6D33F81 Tue, 2 Mar 2021 09:49:33 -0600 Occupational Fraud: Carol Bates, the former comptroller for Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC), was sentenced today for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. Chief U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Bates, 50, of Shreveport, Louisiana, to 60 months (5 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Bates was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $286,987.08. Bates pleaded guilty on July 20, 2020 and at the hearing admitted that from 2013 to 2016, she used her position as comptroller of BPCC to access an internal BPCC computer database and make entries falsely showing individuals were due refunds by the school. These individuals were not qualified to receive the funds, and, in most cases, they were not even attending BPCC during the semesters they received the money. https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/pr/former-bossier-parish-community-college-comptroller-sentenced-stealing-more-280000 D3D124C0-BCAD-4F91-AF0E-F4A14A73EB5D Mon, 22 Feb 2021 16:57:06 -0600 Visa Fraud: A Chinese researcher visiting Stanford University who was charged with visa fraud after she allegedly hid her military background is facing new charges, federal prosecutors said. A federal grand jury charged Chen Song, 39, with obstruction of justice, destruction of documents and making false statements to a government agency, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Thursday. https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/charges-chinese-scientist-visa-fraud-case-76004592 0BD91779-E533-4345-AC9A-241D7CC63FB3 Fri, 19 Feb 2021 11:18:52 -0600 Ethics: Records raise questions about Cleveland State University President Harlan Sands’ public assertion that the university gave a $140,000-a-year human resources job to a late-applying candidate with a criminal record because all 37 other applicants lacked the "right skills and experience." Applicant evaluations reviewed by cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer show that the university ranked five other applicants as "most qualified," the same designation given to the school’s eventual choice for the job of associate vice president of human resources, Douglas Dykes. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2021/02/csu-passed-over-five-most-qualified-candidates-to-give-140000-hr-job-to-late-applicant-with-criminal-record-records-show.html 6E6D96C5-B9D1-41B3-AAF3-409856CB0F87 Mon, 15 Feb 2021 09:43:17 -0600 Occupational Fraud: In late December, California State University, Chico announced four of its employees were placed on leave following a fraud investigation that found more than $1-million of misappropriated spending of university money. Documents obtained by KRCR reveal more of what the university says happened. The school's report says employees misled leaders of the department to spend university funds on personal items and to get paid for work they either weren't doing or weren't qualified for. https://krcrtv.com/news/local/chico-state-fraud-investigation-reveals-how-employees-tricked-school-out-of-1-million 6B1BB2F8-C813-49E6-A2FD-6DA3FCA14347 Mon, 15 Feb 2021 09:40:39 -0600 Ethics: The San Mateo Community College Board has rescinded its $1.6 million contract with its chancellor emeritus, Ron Galatolo, saying that he engaged in secret unethical activities during his 20-year tenure as chancellor of the three-college district. According to the board, Galatolo received gifts of "high-end travel, concert tickets and meals" that he never reported in his Form 700 papers, legal public disclosures that high-ranking public officials must file with their employer to reveal any conflicts of interest. The board also cited "the apparent use of public funds for retirement incentives" and "undisclosed personal relationships with vendors" to the college district. https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/San-Mateo-college-board-fires-highest-paid-15935185.php 3E876A69-361C-4B1C-B63A-0A69724CF15F Tue, 9 Feb 2021 11:06:55 -0600 Grant Fraud: A former University of Florida (UF) professor and researcher and resident of China has been indicted for fraudulently obtaining $1.75 million in federal grant money from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by concealing support he received from the Chinese government and a company that he founded in China to profit from that research. Lin Yang, 43, who resided in Tampa, Florida, at the time of the offenses, is charged with six counts of wire fraud and four counts of making false statements to an agency of the United States. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-university-florida-researcher-indicted-scheme-defraud-national-institutes-health-and 3CB76069-5C65-4936-B111-49759BA18DE9 Wed, 3 Feb 2021 13:13:12 -0600 Academic Cheating: It’s called "chegging." College students everywhere know what it means. "If I run out of time or I’m having problems on homework or an online quiz," says Matt, a 19-year-old sophomore at Arizona State, "I can chegg it." He means he can use Chegg Study, the $14.95-a-month service he buys from Chegg, a tech company whose stock price has more than tripled during the pandemic. It takes him seconds to look up answers in Chegg’s database of 46 million textbook and exam problems and turn them in as his own. In other words, to cheat. (Matt asked that his real name be withheld because he knows he’s violating his school’s honor code.) https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2021/01/28/this-12-billion-company-is-getting-rich-off-students-cheating-their-way-through-covid/?sh=1cc85d88363f 1B627134-1158-4F78-9ACA-C305BAA28D60 Thu, 28 Jan 2021 13:34:18 -0600 Embezzlement: A former administrator at the University of Kansas Medical Center faces criminal charges that he embezzled more than $500,000 from KU. A charging document filed this week in federal court accuses Michael Ahlers of diverting the money from the KUMC Credit Union between 2009 and 2015. Ahlers, a resident of Lenexa, Kansas, was the administrator of the med center’s occupational therapy education department. According to the complaint, he was the sole signatory on the credit union account. The document also charges him with income tax evasion because he allegedly failed to report the money on his tax returns. https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-01-15/former-ku-med-center-administrator-charged-with-embezzlement 1CF44C84-68FB-4F1E-9215-7710784FC3F8 Fri, 15 Jan 2021 08:56:37 -0600 Grant Fraud: A professor and researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was charged and arrested today in connection with failing to disclose contracts, appointments and awards from various entities in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the U.S. Department of Energy. Gang Chen, 56, was charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud, failing to file a foreign bank account report (FBAR) and making a false statement in a tax return. Since 2012, Chen has allegedly held various appointments with the PRC designed to promote the PRC’s technological and scientific development by providing advice and expertise -- sometimes directly to PRC government officials -- and often in exchange for financial compensation. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/mit-professor-arrested-and-charged-grant-fraud 228D2741-2ACF-468A-A17A-D82C6DDC3236 Thu, 14 Jan 2021 11:09:50 -0600 Bribery: A current and former Cleveland State University employee are among five people indicted in what prosecutors say was a scheme that steered more than $250,000 in contracts to one of the employee’s relatives. Marlene Gombach approved grant-funded contracts to pay media companies owned by her son, nephew and business associate in exchange for cash bribes from 2013 to 2016, when she worked as a project manager in the university’s Center for Excellence and Innovation in Education, according to the indictment. https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2021/01/former-cleveland-state-employee-gave-contracts-to-relatives-companies-in-exchange-for-bribes-indictment-says.html CEC819D2-828C-4919-8D5D-395B3B5E631A Mon, 11 Jan 2021 10:43:02 -0600 Embezzlement: McGill University’s former assistant director of residences told the Quebec parole board that stealing from the school at first seemed easy, but he eventually realized he had opened a Pandora’s box that placed him behind bars. Nycklass, an engineer, was hired by McGill in 2005 as a manager of the university’s construction projects. He represented the university in meetings with construction companies, managed projects and verified whether work was being done on budget. https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/canada/former-mcgill-university-employee-who-embezzled-370000-granted-parole-537926/ 48C5258F-19F0-45CD-9BB7-925F37359B60 Wed, 6 Jan 2021 13:28:05 -0600 Ethics: The internal audit office at Western Washington University is tasked with investigating and preventing legal and financial risk. But it has instead become the epicenter of sudden firings, lawsuits and even a police escort from a board of trustees meeting in recent years. After one former auditor sued, claiming he was pushed out over an audit of a former president’s travel expenses, Western settled for $216,000. His successor, Antonia Allen, sued the university earlier this month for alleged retaliation and wrongful termination. Allen was fired soon after her office completed a contentious audit into the use of "ghost courses" to pad students’ credit loads, which her office reported as fraud to federal investigators. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/times-watchdog/culture-of-fear-at-western-washington-university-after-internal-auditors-fired-prompting-lawsuits-and-resignations/ 8ABFEDEF-82D1-4F38-9393-5A0BEA739FF0 Fri, 1 Jan 2021 12:44:06 -0600 Academic Cheating: Universities have recently been rocked by cheating scandals as remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic allows students more tools and access to circumvent the rules, according to reports. In Texas A&M, students were found to answer questions faster than they could even read them on a finance exam. Faculty reported concerns of a "very large scale" to the Aggie Honor System Office. The problem of cheating has grown more severe in the year of remote learning and online assignments: the University of North Texas saw a 20% increase in cheating, and Texas State University saw an increase of one-third. https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-chicago-universities-rise-cheating-remote-learning 9DC07091-DE47-46F7-95FB-B904208B24CE Fri, 18 Dec 2020 08:43:53 -0600 Espionage: A Chinese Communist Party data leak of information about almost 2 million CCP members exposed nearly 80,000 who have infiltrated some of the world's largest Western companies and universities. Data also showed that CCP members used a recruitment agency to infiltrate the British, Australian, and U.S. consulates in Shanghai. Some CCP operatives were also employed at U.S. universities, which comes after the U.S. government uncovered a Chinese intelligence operation to steal U.S. scientific research over the summer https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/chinese-communist-party-data-leak-reveals-members 6FAC8B25-93A5-49E0-959E-DE02D10DE19B Mon, 14 Dec 2020 08:50:16 -0600 Occupational Fraud: A former Penn State employee has been accused of stealing more than $265,000 from the university over a 12-year period while a networks and systems manager. Daniel P. Sickels' responsibilities included purchasing equipment necessary for the upkeep of computer servers. To do so he used eBay to acquire equipment and supplies from vendors, the indictment states. Sickels is accused of representing falsely the merchandise he bought was needed to upgrade, replace or maintain the officer servers. Instead of utilizing it, he sold it for his personal benefit to people outside the commonwealth using emails, the charges state. https://www.pennlive.com/news/2020/12/ex-psu-manager-charged-with-making-265000-in-computer-equipment-buying-selling-scheme.html A40786D2-BADB-4554-8184-574E016F4C53 Thu, 10 Dec 2020 11:17:33 -0600 Plagiarism: Dec. 7 email sent out by William Gaudelli, dean of the College of Education, made the college’s students and faculty aware that Lehigh’s College of Education plagiarized sections of a course description at another university in recent attempts to assert the college’s commitment to anti-racism. The plagarized communication, which did not attribute to the course or university of which the language was taken, was sent out to the college’s students and faculty on Nov. 23 and was entitled, "Lehigh University College of Education Renews Commitment to Anti-racist Education." https://thebrownandwhite.com/2020/12/08/college-of-education-plagiarized-course-description-at-different-school-in-internal-email-affirming-anti-racism/ DD84120B-8076-489A-811F-99534320E7EE Tue, 8 Dec 2020 10:44:01 -0600 Falsifying Reports: U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced today a settlement agreement with Temple University for what the Department alleges are false representations to U.S. News & World Report to bolster the school's ranking in the annual U.S. News college rankings. The Department's investigation probed the alleged submission of false information by Temple's Fox School of Business and Management ("Fox School") to U.S. News & World Report between 2014 and 2018. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Temple will pay a $700,000 fine but does not admit any liability or wrongdoing. https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-announces-major-settlement-temple-university-fox-school-business-falsifying-us-news-world-report-business-school-rankings C1AE42C6-F934-4ADC-9ECC-DDE5EAF682A7 Fri, 4 Dec 2020 11:26:46 -0600 Wire Fraud: A former Purdue University professor and his wife, accused of funneling more that $1 million in National Science Foundation research money into a private company that served as a front to pay for their own personal expenses, were sentenced Monday to two years of probation and will have to pay a combined $1.6 million in restitution. The two were ordered jointly and severally liable to pay a total of $1.6 million in restitution, $1,351,996 of which goes to the National Science Foundation and $300,000 to the Indiana Economic Development Corp. https://www.jconline.com/story/news/2020/11/24/former-purdue-professor-serve-2-years-probation-1-3-m-scheme-pocketing-federal-research-money/6400355002/ EC892E92-3331-48FF-B4C6-FBD6DBD4DAE4 Tue, 24 Nov 2020 15:40:07 -0600 Embezzlement: A former Chicago State University professor and interim dean is facing federal charges alleging she embezzled more than $650,000 from a student-based organization and used the funds for herself and her family. Carmita Coleman, 49, was charged Friday in the Northern District of Illinois court with four counts of wire fraud following a five-year scheme from 2011 to 2016 in which she allegedly took $651,272 from a national student organization that works to improve minority representation in the pharmacy industry. https://news.wttw.com/2020/11/20/chicago-state-professor-accused-embezzling-650k-student-organization 3A18242F-8D9A-44E4-A8AF-F41D124C3333 Fri, 20 Nov 2020 14:55:13 -0600 Embezzlement: Special agents from the State Auditor's Office arrested a 60-year-old former Northeast Mississippi Community College employee, charging her with embezzlement and asking her to pay nearly $70,000. Amy Haynie is accused of embezzling cash from one of the college's petty cash fund and from students as they paid various college-related fees. Haynie was able to manipulate the records of how cash was collected and deposited. The lack of internal controls allowed her to hide the scheme for nearly four years. https://www.djournal.com/news/former-northeast-community-college-employee-charged-with-embezzlement/article_521cbf45-6d58-581d-b8a4-7f5e509cc8ee.html E47F1480-9C43-42E7-BE10-A4F50C74BF43 Tue, 17 Nov 2020 11:01:18 -0600 Admissions Scandal/Bribery: A former Harvard University fencing coach and the chief executive of a telecommunications company were arrested on Monday on charges they engaged in a bribery scheme aimed at securing the admission of the businessman’s two sons to the Ivy League school. Federal prosecutors in Boston said Jie "Jack" Zhao paid more than $1.5 million in bribes so that Peter Brand, the former coach, would help his sons get into Harvard by recruiting them to the men’s fencing team. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-harvard-crime/former-harvard-fencing-coach-businessman-charged-with-1-5-million-bribery-scheme-idUSKBN27W218 EF896070-9868-4080-8973-423BDDDD536A Mon, 16 Nov 2020 09:40:21 -0600 Foreign Funding Fraud: A medical researcher and professor who had been working most recently at Ohio State University pleaded guilty Thursday to a charge stemming from what prosecutors called a sophisticated scheme to transfer U.S.-backed research to China. Song Guo Zheng, 58, of suburban Hilliard, and his research groups secured more than $4.3 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health for projects while receiving overlapping funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, according to a criminal complaint unsealed this year. https://apnews.com/article/science-columbus-health-china-ohio-fccd7bac3ffaa9bcb401ae058dd70d47 CFA6481D-1C9E-4B4F-9C86-11B6C43565DF Fri, 13 Nov 2020 12:19:48 -0600 Fraud: The head of a suburban Chicago biotechnology company swindled the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics out of more than $1.6 million for personal protective equipment it urgently needed last March as the coronavirus was beginning to unfold here, federal authorities say. The equipment, they said, was never delivered to the hospital. Instead, they allege, the man used money he had defrauded from the Iowa City hospital and another university hospital to buy two Maserati automobiles and a Land Rover sport-utility vehicle. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/iowa-city-hospital-swindled-with-n95-masks-order-company-head-charged-with-fraud-20201111 BC1B2AB2-0CA7-4B5F-B9FC-636B9BC191F5 Wed, 11 Nov 2020 12:15:14 -0600 Embezzlement: A former Unity College employee has pleaded guilty in federal court in Bangor to wire fraud, according to the United States Attorney’s Office in Maine. Beth Bing, 49, of Waterville pleaded guilty Thursday to making unauthorized purchases on her Unity College credit card and using fraudulent telephone and email communications, according to court documents. Bing, who worked in finance for the college, racked up transactions totaling $516,834, according to federal prosecutors. From September 2015 through October 2019, Bing made "personal purchases and payments, both over the internet and in point-of-sale transactions," without the knowledge or approval of Unity College officials, according to court records. https://www.centralmaine.com/2020/11/03/waterville-woman-former-unity-college-employee-pleads-guilty-for-embezzling-over-500000/ 4A97DE62-FF05-4073-B367-11ED2C75C57B Tue, 3 Nov 2020 13:19:48 -0600 Research Ethics: inewsource has uncovered another example of UC San Diego not telling vulnerable research subjects that their private information was exposed and that the university’s mistake may have put them at risk. The privacy breach involves California prison inmates who were part of a UCSD behavioral study. Their taped conversations, including comments criticizing prison guards, were wrongly shared with the officers. The study, which examined the effects of art on incarcerated men, was ultimately terminated in 2018 following that "intentional breach of trust," according to records obtained by inewsource. https://inewsource.org/2020/10/27/ucsd-didnt-tell-california-prisoners-of-confidentiality-breach/ DCC90CEC-1456-4332-A854-0E2370353735 Tue, 27 Oct 2020 11:11:04 -0500 Misconduct Reporting: A financial consulting firm hired by Liberty University to investigate allegations of wrongdoing by former president Jerry Falwell Jr. has launched a website for employees to confidentially report evidence of misconduct. The launch of the website represents the first public phase of an independent and wide-ranging investigation by Baker Tilly US into Falwell’s tenure as president. Liberty’s board retained the Chicago-based firm in late August after Falwell resigned following a string of scandals, including allegations of self-dealing. https://richmond.com/liberty-university-launches-website-to-report-misconduct-under-jerry-falwell-jr-s-tenure/article_8709cce8-e115-586e-a339-d26c367d94c4.html 48BECA07-93E9-4383-810B-4179F568F68B Sat, 24 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0500 Embezzlement: A former band director at Southern University in Louisiana has pleaded guilty to embezzling $30,000 from the school by submitting fraudulent expenses. A report released last year by Louisiana Legislative Auditor also said the band director pocketed more than $293,000 from public funds owed to the school, and set up a collection system with an unauthorized third party to collect the money. https://www.brproud.com/news/former-southern-university-band-director-pleads-guilty-to-embezzlement-charges/ 4FECAE33-4014-4F3D-94E8-05674A71469A Fri, 9 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0500 Imposter Fraud: Montgomery College lost $2.8 million in a fraud scheme last year, according to a financial audit released Thursday afternoon. In September 2019, the college announced it had fallen victim to and lost money in a fraud scheme, but released few other details, citing an ongoing federal investigation. https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/montgomery-college-lost-2-8-million-in-fraud-scheme-last-year/ 2A5E6B0A-D962-4170-940C-184B03A09820 Fri, 2 Oct 2020 08:22:25 -0500 Improper Use of Research Gift: The University of California has sued an employee, alleging fraud, concealment and misappropriation of a $10 million research gift meant to study an experimental brain treatment. The day after the lawsuit was filed last week, the employee sued the UC system. The former UC San Diego vice chairman alleged whistleblower retaliation and named university higher-ups, including his former boss, as responsible for blocking his research efforts and punishing him for filing complaints about what happened. https://inewsource.org/2020/09/24/university-of-california-lawsuit-10-million-gift/ E75FA9DB-2297-479F-B3E5-900B957FBD95 Thu, 24 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0500 Payment Card Fraud: The facilities director of SUNY Empire College was busted Friday for allegedly stealing more than $31,999 through 171 unauthorized purchases on a school credit card that included Seiko watches, a high end purifier, power tools, kitchen appliances, truck and jeep parts, a lawnmower, snow-blower, leaf-blower and ski gloves, authorities said. https://nypost.com/2020/09/18/suny-empire-facilities-director-busted-in-31k-school-theft/ 12485759-33B3-4FE1-A544-AE5CBFE91CEC Fri, 18 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0500 Audit Request: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has submitted an audit request into ''the allegation of the waste of state funds'' towards the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech. ''We’re trying to determine if any of the $441 million in state taxpayer funding that's been given to UVA, and Virginia Tech in fiscal year 2019 has been wasted on cruel animal experiments, which the universities deemed to be extraneous during their response to the COVID-19 pandemic,'' PETA Vice President of International Laboratory Methods Shalin Gala said. https://www.whsv.com/2020/09/19/peta-submits-audit-request-into-allegation-of-the-waste-of-state-funds-at-uva-and-virginia-tech/ 214C6E85-F366-40D3-A455-894A46A594ED Fri, 18 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0500 Financial Aid Fraud: Prosecutors said Thursday a Baton Rouge man filed bogus paperwork to defraud the federal student loan system and, when challenged by officials at the Baton Rouge Community College about questionable loans, arranged for himself and others to impersonate students to conceal the crime. https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/courts/article_a151b2a8-f3a4-11ea-8b27-fbc3a83b1f3e.html 33015394-C5AF-48A5-BD4F-A33FE79C5E47 Thu, 10 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0500 Racial Fraud: Historian Jessica Krug, who last week admitted to being white and faking being Black for her entire career, resigned from her associate professorship at George Washington University, effective immediately, the institution announced Wednesday. But on the heels of her scandal comes another confession of racial fraud from a scholar. This time it’s a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin at Madison -- where Krug got her own Ph.D. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/09/10/more-allegations-racial-fraud-academe 79E86A17-40BF-40CD-A26E-3D26627E94CF Thu, 10 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0500 Admission Fraud: The 57th person was charged in the admissions scandal that has been widely reported on in prior months. According to the indictment, in May 2014 Khoury agreed to pay Gordon Ernst, who at the time was employed as the head coach of men’s and women’s tennis at Georgetown University, approximately $200,000 through a third party in exchange for Ernst designating Khoury's daughter as a tennis recruit to Georgetown University, despite the fact that Khoury's daughter's tennis skills were below that of a typical Georgetown tennis recruit. https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/09/08/another-indictment-admissions-scandal 65546386-AE12-4F3E-B0DF-991479A7586D Tue, 8 Sep 2020 07:52:14 -0500 Kickbacks: The former director of facility maintenance at American International Colleg, Floyd Young, pleaded guilty to a bribery scheme, admitting he skimmed nearly $1 million from contractors in exchange for hiring them for different jobs at the city campus as well as at three other colleges where he worked. ''Young steered contracts for construction, repair, maintenance, and other work for the collegiate institutions to favored contractors who paid him bribes, typically in the amount of 15% of the contract. The contractors inflated the amount of the invoices submitted to the collegiate institutions in order to be repaid the cost of the bribe payment made to Young,'' the statement said. ''On occasion, Young and the contractors arranged for no-work invoices to be submitted to the collegiate institutions and then split the payment,'' the statement said. https://www.masslive.com/news/2020/08/former-facilities-director-at-american-international-college-in-springfield-pleads-guilty-to-contractor-kickback-scheme.html 8963245B-D9D7-40E6-A879-54E6318B5FA0 Tue, 1 Sep 2020 09:04:38 -0500 Admissions Scandal: So far, 55 defendants have been charged in connection with the college admissions scandal, and of those, 41 have either pleaded guilty or agreed to plead guilty, according to the US Attorney's Office. Of those, 28 parents, including Loughlin and Giannulli, initially pleaded not guilty. Twenty parents have been sentenced, while 13 others, including coaches, administrators, members of Singer's group and Mark Riddell, the expert test taker, have pleaded guilty or agreed to plead guilty. https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/21/us/lori-loughlin-sentencing-college-admissions-scam/index.html AFE717CE-6334-4CEF-AF94-A417350CF5AB Fri, 28 Aug 2020 15:57:24 -0500 HIPAA Insider Threat: The next crop of health care professionals has a price when it comes to illegally releasing confidential medical information, according to researchers at Florida Atlantic University, Baylor University and the State University of New York at Buffalo. While many of the graduating students interviewed believed there would be a high probability of getting caught, they said they still would be willing to violate regulations of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, the research showed. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/08/27/2084859/0/en/FAU-Study-Finds-Health-Care-Professionals-Will-Accept-Money-to-Violate-Privacy-Law.html C621C44A-37C4-4D46-B2C6-5C2C332F8E9A Fri, 28 Aug 2020 15:53:51 -0500 Student Load Fraud: A former employee in the admissions office of Tennessee State University in Nashville has been sentenced to 32 months in federal prison for fraudulently receiving and misappropriating more than $84,500 in student loan payments. Renauld Clayton pleaded guilty earlier this year to to student loan fraud, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. Clayton admitted that during the 2014-15 school year, he obtained the personal identifying information of Tennessee State students and others and applied for student loans in their names. https://www.asumag.com/safety-security/article/21139374/former-employee-at-tennessee-state-university-sentenced-to-prison-for-stealing-84000-in-student-loan-funds E0FC0762-C121-4643-8209-E3952B38E6EC Tue, 18 Aug 2020 08:13:47 -0500 Admissions Scandal: A former employee of the Houston Independent School District agreed to plead guilty Thursday in connection with her involvement in the college admissions scandal that rocked the country last year, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Niki Williams administered the SAT and ACT tests at the high school in Houston where she worked. She is accused of pocketing thousands in bribes from parents all across the country to help their children get a better score on the ACT and SAT. https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2020/08/14/former-hisd-employee-agrees-to-plead-guilty-for-part-in-college-admissions-scandal-prosecutors-say/ 91AF5173-5607-4B12-AD66-6EBF069606F4 Mon, 17 Aug 2020 07:33:10 -0500 Theft: University of Colorado Boulder Police are looking for six people they believe stole "several memorabilia items" from the university’s Events Center. The six entered the center about 1:30 a.m. Monday, according to a tweet from police. One of the items stolen was a signed basketball. Police spokesman Scott Pribble said he could not disclose what other items were stolen. Police tweeted photos Tuesday of the six people that were taken from security cameras, and believe there were three women and three men. https://www.dailycamera.com/2020/08/11/cu-boulder-police-seek-6-people-suspected-of-stealing-memorabilia-from-events-center/ 3CEEF067-1197-4ED7-A767-2560BFE27D56 Tue, 11 Aug 2020 10:26:15 -0500 Embezzlement: A former Texas Southern University dean has been charged with theft after being accused of stealing from the university. According to authorities, 52-year-old Edward Wayne Rene is accused of awarding double tuition scholarships to at least two students and then making them return the extra money, which he allegedly took. Rene, who is a former assistant dean at TSU law school, has been charged with theft by a public servant of $30,000 to $150,000, which is a second-degree felony. https://abc13.com/former-tsu-dean-accused-of-stealing-money-from-school/6364351/ 47D17730-36B6-41E5-AD90-C7B7882DF561 Mon, 10 Aug 2020 11:07:11 -0500 Property Theft: A Utah State University employee accused of stealing computer hardware from the school was charged Thursday. Terry Jason Trinkella, 34, of Hyrum, Cache County, was charged in 1st District Court with four counts of burglary and theft, both third-degree felonies; theft, a class A misdemeanor; and three counts of theft, a class B misdemeanor. According to a search warrant affidavit, USU police had been investigating "a series of computer hardware thefts from three buildings on the USU campus located in close proximity to one another. The thefts include computer hard drives, wireless network cards and an Apple Surface Studio computer. The thefts occurred in classrooms that are used for the purpose of transmitting USU courses electronically and are thus kept in an unlocked and accessible state." https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/8/6/21357635/utah-state-university-employee-charged-with-stealing-computer-parts 4F230D4C-39CB-4A1F-977B-8C23C95BB431 Thu, 6 Aug 2020 15:49:33 -0500 Grant Fraud Settlement: Lehigh University has agreed to pay $200,000 to settle allegations related to a former professor’s fraudulent applications for grants from NASA, federal prosecutors said. In addition, Lehigh will follow compliance requirements in connection with future applications for federal grants or agreements with federal agencies, the U.S. attorney’s office in Philadelphia announced Friday. The settlement resolves allegations under the False Claims Act related to grants awarded to a company owned by former Lehigh University professor Yujie Ding. https://www.mcall.com/news/education/mc-nws-lehigh-university-settlement-nasa-fraud-20200731-o4k7rm3cabcbnk5zzzqzelex64-story.html 704657FD-07BE-4A14-AE4D-B7FC235F61DD Fri, 31 Jul 2020 14:41:50 -0500 Fraud: A judge has ordered a former West Virginia University physics professor who admitted committing federal fraud to serve three months in prison. U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh also fined James Patrick Lewis, 54, of Fairview, $9,363 Thursday for the cost of incarceration and ordered him to pay $20,189 in restitution to the university. Lewis entered into a contract in 2017 with the People’s Republic of China to work as a professor for at least three years, Powell’s office said in a news release. https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/07/30/former-wvu-professor-sentenced-to-3-months-in-fraud-case/ 3BF76A4D-5D5D-48F7-8ADB-36D5BC099152 Thu, 30 Jul 2020 11:19:03 -0500 Embezzlement: Two New York women are accused of using a fake email address to trick Bucks County Community College into sending more than $400,000 to the business account of an elder fraud victim, Newtown Township police announced this week. Charges have been filed against Precious A. Etsekhume and Kathryne Ivana Simon, both 27, in connection with the alleged scheme that was reported to authorities in January. The defendants allegedly used an email address with a domain name that BCCC staff believed to be legitimately associated with a construction company the college had conducted business with in the past. https://www.phillyvoice.com/bucks-county-community-college-theft-women-charged-new-york-new-jersey-elder-fraud/ E4657FDE-E0CC-40F4-87B1-1D640680BBC1 Wed, 29 Jul 2020 17:18:44 -0500 Wire & Passport Fraud: A suspended University of Arkansas professor has been indicted on multiple wire and passport fraud counts. The 44-count indictment returned Tuesday in Fayetteville, Arkansas, accuses Simon Saw-Teong Ang of failing to disclose close ties to the Chinese government and Chinese companies when he obtained federal grants. At the time of his arrest, federal authorities said Ang failed to disclose his ties on an application for a NASA grant. Such materially false representations to NASA and to the university led to numerous wire messages that facilitated a scheme to defraud, according to a federal complaint. https://www.ky3.com/2020/07/29/suspended-university-of-arkansas-professor-indicted-on-fraud-counts/ D6B5473B-8176-4B40-9A9A-BB935934CC88 Wed, 29 Jul 2020 17:14:03 -0500 Conflict of Interest/Tax Fraud: The former Chair of Harvard University’s Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department was charged today in a superseding indictment with tax offenses for failing to report income he received from Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) in Wuhan, China. Dr. Charles Lieber, 61, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on two counts of making and subscribing a false income tax return and two counts of failing to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts (FBAR) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/harvard-university-professor-charged-tax-offenses 2BF93CB8-2E74-4623-B96D-C97ACD6AD17F Tue, 28 Jul 2020 16:50:20 -0500 Admissions Scandal: A former University of California, Los Angeles men’s soccer coach pleaded guilty Monday to accepting $200,000 in bribes to help two students get into the school as recruits. Jorge Salcedo, 47, admitted to participating in the college admissions bribery scheme involving TV celebrities, other wealthy parents and elite universities across the country. Salcedo was paid $100,000 to help California couple Bruce and Davina Isackson get their daughter into UCLA as a bogus soccer recruit, prosecutors said. https://www.burnabynow.com/ex-ucla-coach-pleads-guilty-to-accepting-200k-in-bribes-1.24177040 66592E2D-D843-4A28-BFCE-3BD0F2A17CAB Mon, 27 Jul 2020 16:04:11 -0500 Embezzlement: A former top director of Howard University’s bursar’s office pleaded guilty Friday to stealing nearly $140,000 from the university. Doemini Mosley, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in U.S. District Court. Mosley worked at Howard from 2011 through 2017, initially in the university’s financial aid office and then as associate director of the university’s bursar’s office. An ongoing investigation by the FBI’s Washington office determined that she conspired with another Howard financial aid office employee to steal from the university, the government said. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/former-head-of-howard-universitys-bursars-office-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-more-than-140000/2020/07/24/099f2862-cddb-11ea-bc6a-6841b28d9093_story.html?hpid=hp_local1-8-12_mosleybrief510pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans 3F17FDBB-C943-4C31-B8CC-BAE3333E7341 Fri, 24 Jul 2020 13:02:51 -0500 Wire & Tax Fraud: A former West Virginia University associate professor admitted to wire fraud and filing a false tax return, a federal prosecutor’s office said. Qingyun Sun, 58, of Morgantown, pleaded guilty to defrauding the university and to the tax charge. The charges stemmed from his official travel to China, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell’s office said in a news release Thursday. Sun was an associate professor and associate director of the United States-China Energy Center at the university, the release said. He also acted as the governor’s assistant for China affairs and was a consultant. https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/07/24/former-wvu-professor-fraud/ 797A8CDD-B1E6-4410-B010-2EDDFABA4DD1 Fri, 24 Jul 2020 12:29:47 -0500 Visa Fraud: The Justice Department says the Chinese consulate in San Francisco is harboring a Chinese researcher with ties to UC Davis who lied about her military background. Officials made the assertion Thursday as they announced charges against that scientist and three others accused of concealing their government ties. Juan Tang, Chen Song, Xin Wang, and Kaikai Zhao are accused of lying on applications to work in the United States about their status as members of the People's Liberation Army, which is part of the Chinese military. All are charged with visa fraud. https://www.abc10.com/article/news/crime/san-francisco-chinese-researcher-allegedly-harbored-at-consulate/103-296b2b54-a3bc-4893-a195-9f1ff52ba044 FF5E067A-21C7-417F-B633-74C374CD28DE Thu, 23 Jul 2020 11:17:55 -0500 Embezzlement: A former comptroller for a Louisiana community college has pleaded guilty in a $250,000 fraud scheme that went on for years, federal prosecutors say. Carol Bates, who also had been charged on 12 counts of wire fraud, entered the plea Monday to a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud between 2013 and 2016 at Bossier Parish Community College, U.S. Attorney David Joseph said in a news release. He said Bates admitted at the plea hearing that she faked entries for 45 refunds totaling about $250,600 to nine people who agreed to return half to two-thirds of the money to Bates or her sister, Audrey Williams. https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Community-college-ex-comptroller-pleads-guilty-n-15421552.php 317976DE-7DA6-413D-829C-17BC8BA35659 Mon, 20 Jul 2020 13:38:57 -0500 Visa Fraud: A visiting Stanford University researcher has been charged with visa fraud and allegedly concealing her membership in the Chinese military, according to federal prosecutors. Chinese national Song Chen, 38, entered the U.S. in December 2018 on a J-1 nonimmigrant visa, stating on her application that she had served in the Chinese military from 2000-2011 and that her current employer was a Beijing hospital, according to the criminal complaint cited by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/07/20/stanford-researcher-accused-of-being-active-member-of-chinese-military-charged-with-visa-fraud/ C621BB4A-2A7B-471A-9292-F7BCD35B3183 Mon, 20 Jul 2020 13:37:58 -0500 Foreign Funding Fraud: The National Science Foundation is one of several US funding agencies that has punished researchers for not disclosing foreign financial ties. The US National Science Foundation (NSF) has for the first time released figures on the actions it has taken against researchers found to have violated rules on the disclosure of foreign ties. Since 2018, the agency has reassigned, suspended or terminated grants, forced institutions to return funds or barred researchers from applying for future funding in 16-20 cases in which rules weren’t followed, according to Rebecca Keiser, the agency’s first chief of research security strategy and policy. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02051-8 CABF447F-768D-4AE6-8993-43CD475F13AE Tue, 7 Jul 2020 11:00:19 -0500 Grant Fraud: A researcher who worked at U.S. universities was charged with illegally using grant funding to develop scientific expertise for the Chinese government, the Justice Department said Thursday. The charges against Song Guo Zheng, 57, were announced as top U.S. officials, including FBI Director Christopher Wray and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, escalate efforts to counter Chinese theft of U.S. trade secrets and research. Zheng didn’t disclose he was using about $4 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health to develop China’s expertise in the areas of rheumatology and immunology, the Justice Department said in a statement. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-09/china-connected-researcher-charged-with-grant-fraud-in-u-s CF836D14-9D76-44A1-A85E-337AA681F6D0 Thu, 9 Jul 2020 11:21:44 -0500 Research Misconduct/Plagiarism: Michigan State University Museum Director Mark Auslander resigned from his position Tuesday after the Research Integrity Office found him guilty of research misconduct and plagiarism in December 2019 and an ensuing lawsuit against the university in March. He had previously received a one-month paid suspension in February for committing research misconduct and plagiarism while working on the repatriation of a Bolivian mummy. The reasoning behind his suspension was not specified, but it was assumed to be in relation to alleged plagiarism. https://statenews.com/article/2020/06/msu-museum-director-resigns-after-research-misconduct-allegations-from-december?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_featured A064CC52-6A2D-46ED-904F-DA612E41CA32 Wed, 1 Jul 2020 14:00:15 -0500 Embezzlement: The Florida State University Police Department has issued warrants for former faculty member Mark A. Rodin following a university-initiated investigation that led to charges of defrauding the university of approximately $1.2 million. FSU says Rodin, who taught digital media production courses in the College of Communication and Information and long-time director of Seminole Productions, has been charged with one felony count of organized scheme to defraud and 24 counts of grand theft. https://www.wctv.tv/2020/06/30/former-fsu-employee-charged-in-defrauding-university-over-12-million/ C6CFEDE9-6673-4CC9-AF10-2DA331BBD7AC Wed, 1 Jul 2020 13:52:58 -0500 Fraud/Chinese Connection: A Kansas researcher accused of concealing work he was doing for China while employed at the University of Kansas defrauded the U.S. government and the university, according to revised federal charges filed Thursday. The new indictment charges Feng "Franklin" Tao of Lawrence, Kansas, with seven counts of wire fraud and three counts of making false statements. It also seeks, if convicted, the forfeiture of funds obtained from the offenses. Federal prosecutors allege that from May 2017 until August 2019, Tao schemed to obtain money and property from the university, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation. https://www.swoknews.com/ap/national/prosecutors-file-more-charges-against-kansas-professor/article_09e9e90c-465f-5949-aea9-ee571e69b3c7.html 3610E284-C3E5-488B-9555-07A34990F31E Thu, 25 Jun 2020 11:52:57 -0500 Fraud Lawsuit: Lawyers for a group of Brown University athletes whose sports have been targeted for elimination are accusing the Ivy League school of fraud for working secretly on a plan to cut the programs without telling the players that their varsity careers were in jeopardy. In a letter to Brown President Christina Paxson, attorney Jeffrey Kessler said the school made a "purposeful choice to conceal critical information" that cost the athletes the chance to enroll at or transfer to different schools. The letter claims that the school's actions constitute fraud, citing nearly a dozen Rhode Island court cases as precedent. https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/29360488/brown-accused-fraud-student-athletes-sports-were-cut A67FBDFE-5B1B-40F6-AC3F-B9FD1716A12A Wed, 24 Jun 2020 11:27:10 -0500 Student Fees Audit: Utah’s public colleges are frequently charging fees for services that students don’t use -- and increases get approved each year with little or no input from those expected to pay them, according to a state audit released Tuesday. "These just don’t seem to meet the smell test," said State Auditor John Dougall. The new report from his office calls on the state’s eight public institutions to reexamine what fees are actually necessary for all students to pay and what ones could be eliminated. And, it says, the Utah System of Higher Education board that oversees those schools should no longer "rubber stamp" the increases they propose each year without first hearing how raising the price could impact students. https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2020/06/24/utahs-public-colleges-are/ C8FB3F6E-2541-4A40-8116-563028416208 Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:53:12 -0500 Academic Misconduct: More than a dozen University of Calgary students taking a third-year geology course this semester have been handed academic misconduct notices after sharing tutorial answers in an online chatroom. But one student says the course was open book and the professor gave them contradictory and confusing instructions. In a statement, the U of C said the professor discovered last month that many students in the class of 350 were sharing answers for tutorial assessments on a Discord server that were supposed to be done individually. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/university-calgary-student-misconduct-open-book-exam-course-calgary-1.5619737 44D123CC-6452-4B35-B13E-6C0AD8DFB980 Fri, 19 Jun 2020 16:35:24 -0500 Embezzlement: An internal investigation by Butte College has lead to five charges against former employee Teri Jo Buckman. Buckman, who worked at the college for 17 years, was most recently the office coordinator for its student health clinic. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey told KRCR Buckman faces charges of embezzlement and petty theft (accused of stealing thousands of dollars of student fees) as well as two counts of forgery and one count of practicing medicine without a certificate. https://krcrtv.com/news/local/butte-college-employee-charged-with-embezzlement-and-other-charges 4AE1CB1F-DC41-493A-942D-D8CF961A7AED Wed, 10 Jun 2020 10:56:25 -0500 Chinese Ties: The former chairman of Harvard University’s Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department was indicted on Tuesday, accused of being involved with Wuhan University of Technology in China in a recruiting program which is known to steal proprietary information from businesses. Charles Lieber, 61, was indicted by a federal grand jury on two counts of making false statements to federal authorities regarding his participation in China’s Thousand Talents Program, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. Lieber is accused of receiving a salary of up to $50,000 monthly and living expenses of up to $158,000 and lying to federal authorities in 2018 and 2019 about his involvement in the Thousand Talents Plan, according to the statement. https://www.masslive.com/news/2020/06/harvard-university-professor-indicted-for-lying-to-federal-officials-about-involvement-with-wuhan-university-in-china.html 7F06D87D-8DF1-4BB4-882F-5EDE90ADC279 Tue, 9 Jun 2020 11:04:27 -0500 Grant Fraud Settlement: The University of San Francisco has agreed to pay $2.5 million to settle allegations that it submitted fraudulent information to get AmeriCorps service grant money, the Justice Department announced Friday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for California’s Eastern District says the private Jesuit university obtained $1.7 million for its teacher residency program, which grants money for tuition and living costs to students who volunteer at high-needs San Francisco public schools. The justice department said that the director of the program falsified more than 1,500 time sheets from 2014 to 2016 to get the education awards administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/san-francisco/san-francisco-university-to-pay-2-5m-over-fraud-allegations/2295862/ 4F91E468-E29F-4DE1-8CBB-9EF156106256 Tue, 26 May 2020 11:34:10 -0500 Wire Fraud & Intellectual Property Theft: A former Cleveland Clinic Foundation doctor was arrested Wednesday and appeared in court on Thursday on charges of wire fraud and making false claims to obtain millions in federal grant funding. It is the latest move in a federal crackdown on alleged participants in China's Thousand Talents Plan. The government believes the program may recruit U.S.-based scientists and researchers to steal intellectual property and scientific advances paid for with American funding. https://www.npr.org/2020/05/14/856540244/former-cleveland-clinic-researcher-allegedly-failed-to-disclose-ties-to-china 35255EA7-5CDA-42D1-9081-11567B6384E6 Thu, 14 May 2020 15:03:29 -0500 Unemployment Fraud: More than 200 Oklahoma State University employees have been victims of fraudulent unemployment claims. This has affected numerous people, both nationwide and statewide, prompting the Attorney General’s Office and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to create a joint task force. "There is no information indicating this fraud was targeted at Oklahoma State University employees specifically. Unfortunately though, many employees were included as part of a much larger unemployment fraud issue," Shannon Rigsby, Public Information Officer at OSU, said. https://www.stwnewspress.com/covid-19/hundreds-of-osu-employees-affected-by-unemployment-fraud/article_438bb49e-96d3-11ea-a1dc-0f65063a769e.html 2344C2FE-B61F-4143-8AF3-88CA86252E97 Fri, 15 May 2020 16:53:09 -0500 Wire Fraud: According to the FBI, 63-year-old University of Arkansas-Fayetteville professor Dr. Simon Saw-Teong Ang reportedly failed to disclose alleged "close ties with the Chinese government" in order to receive grant money from NASA. Ang was arrested on May 8 on one wire fraud charge. A statement released by the US Department of Justice states that the complaint filed against Ang charges that he had close ties with the Chinese government and Chinese companies, and in order to receive a grant from NASA, did not share that information. https://www.thv11.com/article/news/crime/fayetteville-professor-arrested-for-wire-fraud-after-receiving-nasa-grant/91-43588458-73f9-4adf-b747-880eadceb807 03A9D50E-81CA-4A68-9E4A-366991EA9BC8 Mon, 11 May 2020 14:23:26 -0500 Academic Cheating: The Georgia Tech campus is buzzing about the allegation that students in physics classes posted questions from their final exams to the online tutoring service Chegg where tutors provided answers. A Tech spokesman said Monday Tech was looking at possible cheating in two widely subscribed physics classes that had several sections. All told, he said about 1,000 students took exams in the implicated classes, although there is no figure yet on how many test-takers may have cheated. https://www.ajc.com/blog/get-schooled/georgia-tech-warns-physics-students-who-cheated-admit-risk-failing/3iQOCvBiwuqEXQivS63VqK/ 2D5EFCF2-93EC-45AA-8AA8-533A4EDE5358 Fri, 1 May 2020 11:07:18 -0500 Grant Allegations: Harvard University has agreed to pay over $1.3 million to resolve allegations that the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health was overcharging the government for certain grants. The schools reportedly overcharged for grants funded by both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), the U.S. Attorney Andrew Lellings's office said in a release on Monday. https://www.wbur.org/edify/2020/04/27/harvard-university-agrees-to-pay-1-3-million-to-settle-government-grant-allegations 94EE4FB3-D5B6-4A40-A87D-FA67AF72A2C3 Mon, 27 Apr 2020 11:20:00 -0500 Theft: Two people are charged with attempting to steal more than $600 worth of beer after breaking into Neyland Stadium on the University of Tennessee campus over the weekend, according to arrest warrants. Police were dispatched shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday after as many as five people were spotted on security cameras inside the football stadium. Officers arrived to catch three people inside the perimeter fencing near Gate 22. Two of the suspects were carrying 24 beers apiece. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2020/04/27/suspects-caught-stealing-beer-neyland-stadium/3037870001/ 5A1935F1-5D8D-4FA5-8458-CF148830D957 Mon, 27 Apr 2020 11:12:16 -0500 Research Grant Fraud: Rice University has agreed to pay $3.75 million to resolve allegations that it misused National Science Foundation grant funds to pay graduate students to teach instead of perform research, the U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday. The settlement resolved an investigation launched in 2016 into whether the Houston, Texas-based school defrauded the agency, which provides about a quarter of the funding to all federally-supported college and university research. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-riceuniversity/in-brief-rice-university-to-pay-375-million-to-resolve-us-research-grant-fraud-probe-idUSL2N2C32ZH BE3B6030-560A-417E-9300-C0EBA933D03D Wed, 15 Apr 2020 14:06:13 -0500 Conflict of Interest: As the legislative session got underway in mid-February, Sen. Erik Simonson introduced a bill to secure nearly $1million in state infrastructure bonds for a major expansion at Lake Superior College. On Wednesday, the Duluth Democrat started a new $100,053-a-year job as executive director of continuing education and customized training at the college, the same institution he was seeking to fund. The timing has sparked questions from some experts on government ethics. https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-lawmaker-s-new-college-job-sparks-conflict-of-interest-questions/569363152/?refresh=true 92A4F3F1-C211-4EB7-AC59-DAAE894FAF88 Fri, 3 Apr 2020 14:16:23 -0500 Admissions Scam & Wire Fraud: In exchange for money, a former admissions official at USC helped graduate students from China gain acceptance to the school by submitting doctored transcripts, fraudulent letters of recommendation and bogus personal statements in their applications, according to a plea agreement filed in federal court. Hiu Kit David Chong, who worked in USC’s Office of Graduate Admission from 2008 to 2016, agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud in an agreement signed last month and unsealed Wednesday. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-01/usc-admissions-official-guilty-plea-chinese-students FEBD27DB-0657-4A69-AABF-75AA80E908F3 Wed, 1 Apr 2020 14:27:15 -0500 Conflict of Interest: An investigation into the University of Texas at Arlington found improper financial relationships between a school administrator and a private vendor that helped the school provide an online nursing program. The investigation, conducted by the consulting firm Protiviti, also found that outgoing UT-Arlington President Vistasp Karbhari took at least two international trips with executives from the vendor company and allowed the vendor to push for expedited enrollment processes that let under-qualified students enroll into the school’s online nursing program. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2020/03/20/investigation-into-utas-online-nursing-program-found-improper-finances-underqualified-students-enrolled/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202020-03-24%20Higher%20Ed%20Education%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:26351%5D&utm_term=Education%20Dive:%20Higher%20Ed 8A637956-F8B4-4CA5-9345-DB1B575102BB Thu, 19 Mar 2020 14:00:04 -0500 Falsifying Grant Reports: Eva Lee’s work on modeling mass disease outbreaks is so well-known that the U.S., China and Singapore have sought her help in fighting COVID-19. At the same time, her employer, Georgia Tech, has banished her from campus and locked her out of her university email account. Lee is a brilliant computer modeler. Lee, 55, is also an admitted felon, although her attorney questions the prosecution of her. In December she pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to falsifying the annual report behind a $40,000 National Science Foundation grant and then lying about it to investigators. https://www.ajc.com/news/local/the-world-needs-this-researcher-help-covid-why-she-can-help/MZSnUknKjvabcO1QvKfXLL/ 73B24408-3576-4747-A498-34CDBA8BD4BD Thu, 19 Mar 2020 14:58:29 -0500 Fraudulent Leave: A former West Virginia University professor admitted to a fraud charge involving WVU, the Department of Justice said. Dr. James Lewis, 54, or Fairview, pleaded guilty to one-count information charging him with "Federal Program Fraud," according to the DOJ. Lewis was a tenured professor at WVU in the physics department, specializing in molecular reactions used in coal conversion technologies from 2006 to Aug. 2019. "Lewis defrauded a public university into giving him leave, so that he could satisfy his competing obligations to a Chinese institution, which he hid from the school," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. https://www.wdtv.com/content/news/Former-WVU-professor-pleads-guilty-to-fraud-568677591.html 5D2C4A2F-F486-4582-9B25-FA740DF184E2 Tue, 10 Mar 2020 14:28:28 -0500 Theft: A man is in custody after police say he stole more than $12,000 worth of equipment from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Stuart Sellers, 45, is facing charges for 3rd-degree burglary. According to court documents, prosecutors charged him with 11 counts in February. He is also facing theft charges. Sellers allegedly went into hospital offices without permission on Feb. 4 around 3:30 a.m. Police say he took personal items and office equipment from 12 different offices. https://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Man-accused-of-stealing-more-than-12k-in-equipment-from-University-of-Iowa-hospitals-and-Clinics-568559071.html CED542DF-DD9D-4DC2-8B93-5576EC9EC4B0 Fri, 6 Mar 2020 14:02:43 -0600 Academic Cheating: The University of Alberta has charged 40 students from two introductory computing science courses with cheating. In a Feb. 28 letter to computing science students, the university said the students, from the fall term, "face significant sanctions." The U of A warned it would continue to screen all student assignment submissions and "any students found guilty of cheating will be charged." Eerkes said students caught cheating face a range of sanctions -- from being assigned a zero on an assignment and a grade reduction to failing the class, a reprimand that goes on their record, suspension, and, for repeat offenders, expulsion from the university. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/u-of-a-computing-cheating-1.5483278 2C4B1E9C-E623-41F9-86F3-052466BF031E Wed, 4 Mar 2020 14:46:01 -0600 Wire Fraud: A now-suspended researcher at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville was arrested by federal agents following the return of a grand jury’s indictment. According to U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Overbey of the Eastern District of Tennessee, Anming Hu, 51, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering at UTK, is charged with three counts of wire fraud and three counts of making false statements. The indictment alleges that beginning in 2016, Hu was part of a scheme to defraud the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) by hiding his affiliation with the Beijing University of Technology (BJUT), which is located in China. https://www.wate.com/news/ut-researcher-arrested-on-federal-charges-for-wire-fraud-making-false-statements/ 6235125B-5CE3-44E1-9C1A-A43BEE4055DE Thu, 27 Feb 2020 08:30:39 -0600 Theft: Crime is no respecter of persons or, it seems, chickens, as 60 chicks were stolen from their cages at one of Oklahoma State’s poultry barns. The chicks were being raised for research purposes at a small barn off McElroy Street. A class in the Ferguson College of Agriculture was raising them as broiler chickens, which are chickens raised specifically for meat production. The chicks were snatched sometime after 10 p.m. Jan. 21 and were discovered missing the next morning. https://www.ocolly.com/news/grand-theft-poultry/article_e86e8226-5730-11ea-bd57-ebf00661e67b.html 1E61F516-232C-47DA-A481-1F486694264A Mon, 24 Feb 2020 11:09:43 -0600 Plagiarism & Research Misconduct: Michigan State University Museum Director Mark Auslander will serve a month-long suspension after a committee found he committed plagiarism and research misconduct in work to repatriate a mummy. Auslander's four-week suspension begins Tuesday, according to an email sent to MSU Museum staff Monday from Judith Stoddart, associate provost for university collections and arts initiatives. Auslander made up facts and reported research while omitting the names of the researchers responsible in an MSU Museum Newsletter in February 2019. https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/2020/02/24/msu-michigan-state-university-museum-director-suspended/4858000002/ 14872175-2AEB-4B04-A241-4861B3EDCA9F Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:10:16 -0600 Theft: A Brigham Young University student has been arrested after he allegedly donned a black mask, sneaked through underground tunnels on campus and stole food. According to BYU Police, an employee at the university's Culinary Support Center was startled on Sunday night when he "ran into a male wearing a black mask and black clothing" after hours when the building was locked. The employee asked the man in black what he was doing there; the man in black ran away. https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/02/19/byu-police-arrest-masked/ B2AC67CA-4965-4F8D-B707-1A3E69B6035F Wed, 19 Feb 2020 13:49:40 -0600 Embezzlement: The 2019 audit of a former University of Toledo employee found guilty of stealing more than $22,000 while in office was released Tuesday. The audit said Jason Woodward had an account at the UT Federal Credit Union where he was the account holder, although the account was in the university's name. According to the audit, Woodward would divert money like class fees from the ECW, MBCD office rentals from minority businesses and donations into the account and would use that money for personal expenses such as credit card payments and insurance bills. https://www.wtol.com/article/news/local/audit-released-on-former-ut-employee-found-guilty-of-stealing-more-than-22000-in-2019/512-5304ead4-c1b3-4663-8f24-924fcd7d1ed0 7E1594F5-E5CF-49C6-89BA-550819F8EAC9 Tue, 18 Feb 2020 11:32:54 -0600 Bribery: A manager for the Vision Clinic at the University of Georgia Health Center and two other former UGA employees have been charged in a scheme where authorities said they accepted gift cards that were unlawful for them to keep. The alleged activity came to the attention of UGA police through an anonymous tip received on the university’s Alert Line System on Oct. 25, 2019. About a month later, another tip was made regarding the same situation. Warrants charge that while they were employed at UGA, they accepted gift cards on six occasions from the sale of eyeglass frames from the illegal agreement coordinated by Stowers. https://www.onlineathens.com/news/20200217/uga-police-charge-3-in-vision-clinic-scheme CDEEC889-DA10-4F56-92A8-9B598ECB69DC Mon, 17 Feb 2020 13:24:23 -0600 Student Loan Fraud: A former Tennessee State University (TSU) employee has pleaded guilty to student loan fraud. The Department of Justice-Middle Tennessee District announced 32-year-old Renauld Clayton fraudulently received and misappropriated $84,500 in student loan payments. Clayton admitted during 2014-2015 while he was employed at the admissions office of TSU, he used the personal information of TSU students and others to apply for student loans in their names. He then transferred the money to his personal bank account, depositing more than $60,000 for his personal use. https://fox17.com/news/local/former-tennessee-state-university-employee-guilty-of-using-student-info-to-apply-for-loans 1AE5C2F2-7958-47AC-AEBB-076BDEE1DB26 Thu, 13 Feb 2020 13:41:53 -0600 Fraud Using Student Data: Two Miami-Dade men getting sentenced to federal prison after stealing identities for a $563,210 tax fraud may come off as just another tricky day in fraud-laden South Florida. What’s different about Maurice Marcellus and Ludrick Joseph’s scam: The identities were from students at the defunct ATI College of Health, where Marcellus worked. And, since then, Marcellus appears to have worked in the admissions office of another local college, which would give him access to the same student information. One database says Marcellus worked as a professional admissions representative at the Hialeah campus of Florida Career College as recently as 2018. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article239997603.html 4CC4AB74-2EFB-4FD0-8E99-A0695B90C24A Wed, 12 Feb 2020 14:25:40 -0600 Failure to Report Fraud: Texas Southern University officials on Wednesday ousted the president of one of the nation’s largest historically black universities for failing to report fraud allegations in the admissions process and directing a former official to violate university policy. The university’s board of regents deliberated for five hours before firing Austin Lane because he didn’t report alleged fraud the former dean of law school admissions participated in while enrolling two students, according to the termination notice. Lane didn’t report a former assistant dean who participated in alleged fraud by allowing a student to be enrolled into a program without submitting an application, the letter says. http://www.therepublic.com/2020/02/05/us-texas-southern-university-president/ EC25BC7B-848B-40B7-8DEF-C2DED97F666C Wed, 5 Feb 2020 15:30:47 -0600 Tuition Bribery Scheme: A New Jersey man who took money from Delaware State University students to create phony residency documents that allowed them to get in-state tuition has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in federal prison. Stephen Williams, 35, a Delaware State graduate from Neptune Township, was sentenced Friday in federal court in Wilmington, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Delaware said in a statement. After Williams collected the payments, he created forged residency documents, like housing leases, and then gave them to his co-defendant, associate registrar Crystal Martin, authorities said. https://www.nj.com/news/2020/02/nj-man-who-led-3m-college-tuition-bribery-scheme-sentence-to-federal-prison.html 1882F7FC-9CE1-4DF7-B791-7D5C8EA9ABE0 Tue, 4 Feb 2020 13:44:29 -0600 Theft: Baton Rouge detectives allege Jada Jones, 18, stole personal financial information and several hundred dollars worth of electronics while employed at a college bookstore in Baton Rouge. Jones used one customer’s financial aid information to buy the electronics, officers claim. She obtained the personal financial information from the customer’s return receipt for a previous purchase. The electronics were purchased then given to a third person who told officers she assumed Jones bought the electronics for her legitimately. https://www.wafb.com/2020/02/02/woman-accused-using-college-bookstore-job-steal-personal-financial-information-sell-stolen-electronics/ 9E844B9E-FDF1-4C58-944C-D708ED5ADA31 Sat, 1 Feb 2020 12:54:09 -0600 Bribery: The University of Central Florida plans to fire three people who they say helped a graduate student obtain a doctoral degree in return for the student getting them grant money. The student is also being stripped of their degree. Three UCF faculty members are in the process of being fired, and a Ph.D student's degree is being revoked after university officials say an investigation found that the faculty members helped that student get their doctorate in exchange for grant funding. https://www.wesh.com/article/alleged-bribery-scandal-under-investigation-at-ucf/30683191# D05B0A9F-8662-4E10-941E-015816A3055E Tue, 28 Jan 2020 11:04:56 -0600 Foreign Conflict of Interest: Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged a top Harvard University scientist with lying to the Department of Defense about his work for a Chinese-run talent recruitment program. Charles M. Lieber, the chair of Harvard's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, allegedly violated federal law by not disclosing his involvement in China's Thousand Talents Plan to the Defense Department, including money he received, according to the charging document. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/harvard-s-chemistry-chair-charged-allegedly-lying-about-china-contract-n1124646 E22B33FF-58B3-4F0B-A1CA-43AAFD179022 Tue, 28 Jan 2020 11:38:11 -0600 Theft: A suspect was caught after $140 worth of textbooks were stolen from the Central Michigan University Bookstore on Thursday afternoon, according to university police. Police said the retail-fraud incident took place around 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, in Bovee University Center, 103 E. Preston Road. An 18-year-old woman was caught on camera leaving the bookstore with the stolen textbooks. http://www.cm-life.com/article/2020/01/suspect-caught-after-stealing-140-worth-of-textbooks-from-cmu-bookstore C47F12F7-AAFF-4C53-AAAD-C5698641BF27 Fri, 24 Jan 2020 13:51:09 -0600 Theft: With a tense frown, Judge Derek Pullan glanced from the court documents on his desk to a former Utah Valley University employee standing in front of him. "You stole from a public university," he said. "To speak frankly ... I question why you shouldn’t go to prison for that." Jennifer Clegg, 43, wiped away tears and clasped her hands in front of her. She had been fired from UVU in April 2016 after she and her husband stole more than $380,000 from the university to pay for travel expenses and a private theater business. https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/education/college/uvu/woman-sentenced-for-reportedly-stealing-thousands-from-uvu-to-fund/article_891afc9b-4828-5c87-bdb9-e1283c0d8b05.html E317AE2B-8172-4E18-B701-5E624FC533D4 Tue, 21 Jan 2020 14:18:55 -0600 Wire & Program Fraud & COI: A Kansas associate professor concealed work he was doing for China while employed at the University of Kansas and tried to recruit other researchers and students for the Chinese government, according to revised federal charges filed Wednesday. An extensively detailed superseding indictment charges Feng “Franklin” Tao, 47, of Lawrence, Kansas, with two counts of wire fraud and one count of program fraud for failing to disclose on conflict-of-interest forms the work he was doing for China while employed as a full-time associate professor at the University of Kansas’ Center for Environmental Beneficial Catalysis. Prosecutors said some of the Tao’s research at the Kansas university was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. http://www.dailyjournal.net/2020/01/15/us-kansas-researcher-indictment-2/ B9CD085C-79AA-426E-BB29-7E51FC75443E Wed, 15 Jan 2020 11:07:48 -0600 Theft of Research Funds: Geoffrey Girnun, a former Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Director of Cancer Metabolomics at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University pleaded guilty to theft of government funds from cancer-related research grants issued by the National Institutes of Health. U.S. Attorney Richard Donoghue said that between December 2013 and December 2017, Girnun stole approximately $78,000 in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funds that had been earmarked for cancer research. Girnun then used those funds to pay for personal expenses, including payments on his home mortgage. https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/suffolk/news/former-stony-brook-university-professor-admits-to-stealing-cancer-research-funds/781918/ 334A33D4-1043-4639-9661-D30E50FEED01 Wed, 15 Jan 2020 13:48:06 -0600 Theft of Grant Funds: A professor from Drexel University was arrested for stealing $185,000 in grant research funds that he used for adult entertainment, sports bars and other unauthorized purchases, prosecutors announced. Chikaodinaka Nwankpa, 57, is facing charges of theft by unlawful taking and theft by deception, according to a press release from Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. Nwankpa, the former chair of Drexel University’s engineering department, allegedly "spent funds that were allocated for research on activities that were not related to academic research, including on visits to area adult entertainment venues and sports bars, meals, and iTunes purchases," officials said. https://abcnews.go.com/US/university-professor-allegedly-stole-185000-funds-spent-adult/story?id=68303191 C2320419-173C-49C0-B34E-BE7BB894B715 Wed, 15 Jan 2020 13:43:16 -0600 Federal Program Fraud: Caldwell University in Essex County has agreed to pay the United States more than $4.8 million to resolve its role in a scheme to defraud a federal education benefit program for veterans, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced Friday. "Caldwell University tried to hoodwink the Department of Veterans Affairs and, worse, veterans themselves, by claiming to offer online classes developed and provided by Caldwell that were in fact marked-up offerings by an online correspondence school," https://www.nj.com/news/2020/01/nj-university-will-pay-millions-for-role-in-defrauding-the-government-in-the-name-of-veterans.html E88A6689-F5BC-49B7-B699-56531273A653 Fri, 3 Jan 2020 13:38:36 -0600 Research Theft: A medical student from China who U.S. authorities say tried to smuggle cancer research material taken from a Boston hospital out of the country has been held without bail by a judge who ruled he was a flight risk. Zaosong Zheng, 29, who last year earned a visa sponsored by Harvard University to study in the U.S., appeared Monday in U.S. District Court in Boston. He was arrested Dec. 10 at Boston’s Logan Airport on a charge of making false statements. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy ruled that evidence suggested Zheng had tried to smuggle vials of research specimens in a sock in his suitcase bound for China and granted the prosecution’s request to hold him without bail. https://time.com/5757094/medical-student-arrested-smuggle-cancer-research/ C1E08DB4-EB68-4482-9080-185C65128279 Wed, 1 Jan 2020 13:35:43 -0600 Academic Fraud: The University of Houston must vacate three wins from the 2018 football season as part of a self-imposed penalty for academic misconduct committed by a former tutor, the NCAA announced Wednesday. The NCAA infractions committee cited UH for two Level II violations, including exceeding the allotted time limit for team activities within the volleyball program. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/cougars/article/Academic-fraud-costs-UH-three-wins-from-2018-14917092.php F08F9DD9-CBAB-4B5D-B929-AFD59675BC2C Wed, 18 Dec 2019 20:43:05 -0600 Embezzlement: A former St. Louis Community College employee was sentenced Friday to more than six years in prison for stealing more than $7.5 million from a program designed to provide job training. Donald L. Robison, 57, of Ballwin, Missouri, pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering charges in August. In addition to the prison sentence, Robison was fined $125,000. Robison’s case was unusual because he invested the money and made millions of dollars in profits. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/nation-world/story/2019-12-13/college-official-gets-6-years-for-stealing-7-5-million E808B67B-28A2-40A9-BB74-8A0E6BA8B80F Fri, 13 Dec 2019 14:46:08 -0600 Falsified Data: Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Thursday settled with Temple University regarding years of false reporting by its Fox Business School to publications, including U.S. News and World Report, in order to get a No. 1 ranking for its online MBA program. The settlement by Temple with the Attorney General’s office includes $250,000 in new scholarships for Fox students. The false reporting, "done intentionally and knowingly to boost the school’s rankings, elevated Fox Business School as the nation’s top online MBA program for several consecutive years. The school used this ranking to attract prospective student applicants, according to the settlement agreement," Shapiro said in a statement. https://www.inquirer.com/business/temple-mba-business-school-rankings-scandal-settlement-ag-josh-shapiro-20191212.html 551889D6-47F3-4040-B643-5E564D648961 Thu, 12 Dec 2019 11:22:41 -0600 Fraud: A 37-year-old researcher at the University of Kansas, Liuqi Gu, has been charged with two counts of theft and four related criminal charges according to the Kansas Attorney General’s Office. The complaint alleges from November 2016 to October 2018, Gu falsely represented that purchases he made from Thermo-Fisher Scientific were for the use of the University of Kansas in order to receive discounts from the company for his personal benefit or the benefit of another. It also alleges Gu used confidential information acquired in the course of his employment with the University of Kansas in order to avoid paying sales tax totaling between $25,000 and $100,000 on those purchases. https://www.ksn.com/news/local/university-of-kansas-researcher-charged-with-theft-related-charges/ 1644FD3F-AAA9-4778-976F-65D99CFBF209 Mon, 9 Dec 2019 13:57:42 -0600 Conflicts of Interest: All too often, what’s publicly known about faculty members’ outside activities, even those that could influence their teaching, research, or public-policy views, depends on where they teach. Academic conflicts of interest elude scrutiny because transparency varies from one university and one state to the next. ProPublica discovered those inconsistencies over the past year as we sought faculty outside-income forms from at least one public university in all 50 states. https://www.chronicle.com/article/Many-Public-Universities/247667?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&cid=at&source=ams&sourceId=3807591 A83DE16F-F7DA-47C4-97B3-1585D582DC4F Fri, 6 Dec 2019 14:28:36 -0600 Theft: A former Helena College employee who said he used the wrong credit card on his Amazon Prime account has pleaded guilty to theft from the college. Last month, a Montana Legislative Audit Division report found that a Helena College employee had misused a state procurement card, or "procard." Auditors wrote that "the agency was aware of actual or suspected theft but did not immediately notify either the legislative auditor or the attorney general," as state law requires, the report stated. https://missoulian.com/former-helena-college-employee-pleads-guilty-to-theft/article_05413ffa-6cad-52ce-99b0-9455c0203188.html 383964D6-0BED-4AA0-B6D1-724404659B2F Wed, 4 Dec 2019 13:26:41 -0600 Fraud/Theft: Payment scams, employee thefts and a fire that destroyed a Department of Conservation and Recreation building contributed to more than half a million dollars' worth of property losses at state agencies in the last two years. Under Massachusetts law, government workers must immediately notify the state auditor if taxpayer-owned property goes missing, whether it was misplaced, stolen or destroyed. Records reviewed by the NBC10 Boston Investigators show public entities in Massachusetts logged more than $554,000 in lost, stolen or destroyed property during the two-year period from July 2017 through July 2019. https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/Massachusetts-Agencies-Missing-Lost-Property-564815212.html 3E003A23-D84C-4C82-BE9A-CD869F5F2568 Tue, 3 Dec 2019 11:28:07 -0600 Financial Irregularities: The University of Texas at Austin is investigating financial irregularities tied to a former procurement director who resigned from the system flagship in mid-April and now holds a similar position at the Austin Independent School District. An internal UT review found that Felix Alvarez, former assistant vice president for procurement, business and payment services, double-dipped on travel funds, may have misused purchasing cards and raffled off athletic tickets for personal gain, costing the university several thousand dollars, according to one source who has seen the document. The review has not been released publicly and appears to be related to a university police investigation. https://www.texastribune.org/2019/11/26/ut-austin-investigating-former-procurement-official/ 4E436A54-E93F-4172-8C52-6E06617F7E5C Sun, 1 Dec 2019 13:27:42 -0600 Admissions Investigation: The investigation at Texas Southern University is focusing on admissions improprieties at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, multiple sources tell ABC13. ABC13 has confirmed through multiple sources that the investigation at the law school has been ongoing for several months. Specifically at issue is whether there was any pay-to-play for admission into the school. Sources say that at least one person in the TSU law school's admissions office was recently fired. In addition, documents have been turned over to the Harris County District Attorney's Office for a criminal investigation. https://abc13.com/education/tsu-investigating-improprieties-regarding-admissions-process/5705898/ DD4C7BFC-E3A9-4BDE-944C-F0BA1C7FEB4F Tue, 19 Nov 2019 12:28:50 -0600 Money Laundering: A Miami professor who’s an expert on drug trafficking and organized crime was charged by the U.S. with laundering money from Venezuela, skimming more than $250,000 for himself.Bruce Bagley, 73, a professor of international studies at the University of Miami, was the co-editor of the 2015 book "Drug Trafficking, Organized Crime, and Violence in the Americas Today" as well as a contributor to various journals on the topic. But on Monday prosecutors in Manhattan charged Bagley with laundering about $2.5 million into the U.S., money that foreign nationals embezzled and got from bribes and other corrupt schemes. Bagley pocketed about 10% of the money, according to prosecutors. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-18/professor-wrote-laundering-book-then-washed-millions-u-s-says 3FEEF979-59DD-45B9-AABA-7326559676E7 Mon, 18 Nov 2019 15:13:08 -0600 Academic Fraud Costs: An academic fraud scandal and the ensuing NCAA appeal has cost the University of Missouri more than a half-million dollars. The university paid a total of $595,626.60 to outside counsel for their work on the investigation and appeal, according to records obtained by ABC 17 News. In January, the NCAA ruled to ban several of MU's athletic programs from postseason play. The programs were football, baseball and softball. The punishment was in response to academic fraud involving a tutor who worked for the athletic department. https://abc17news.com/news/education/university-of-missouri/2019/10/29/mu-spends-more-than-half-million-on-academic-fraud-and-ncaa-appeal/ CC927D45-9378-4232-B415-65B62B6D036E Fri, 1 Nov 2019 20:21:43 -0500 Fraud: A 43-year-old woman has been arrested and charged for using fake travel vouchers to obtain money from Clemson University. According to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Yolanda Felder filled out and submitted falsified travel vouchers to the university. Felder, who worked for one of the university’s satellite offices, received more than $8,200 during a three-month span where she turned in counterfeited documents, according to the arrest warrant. https://www.wistv.com/2019/10/29/orangeburg-woman-charged-with-obtaining-money-clemson-university-using-falsified-documents/ DDF8061D-66A8-4D34-8801-DCFF3DAB4F49 Tue, 29 Oct 2019 13:59:19 -0500 Fraud/Forgery: A former Morehead State University employee has been indicted for fraud and forgery by a Rowan County grand jury. Sherri P. Ward, 51, was indicted Oct. 18, for one count fraudulent use of a credit card when police say she used a Morehead State Visa purchasing card to obtain $167,072.81 in merchandise for her personal use between Dec. 8, 2017, and July 1, 2019. The indictment claims Ward, who had worked in the department of art and design, also used a rubber signature stamp to forge the signature of Dr. Jean Petsch to a money transfer request from the MSU Foundation. https://www.themoreheadnews.com/news/former-msu-employee-indicted-for-fraud-forgery/article_f90f347c-f696-11e9-ae28-37b55fa931a2.html 651573BF-D652-49A9-873D-5DB29FE7D272 Thu, 24 Oct 2019 21:59:01 -0500 Theft: Police in Lawrence are investigating after three fossils were stolen from a display case at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the fossils were reported missing Monday but were believed to have been stolen Friday or Saturday. The university police crime log says someone pried hooks from a display case to open it and take the fossils. https://www.ksn.com/news/crime/fossils-stolen-from-university-of-kansas-museum/ 11743E7B-9A69-472A-8A1E-865FC42079B7 Wed, 23 Oct 2019 11:05:26 -0500 Contract Authority: Three employees of the University of Maryland’s business school -- including its former dean -- signed unauthorized contracts with the federal government, according to the preliminary results of an investigation released Friday. The employees acted on behalf of the Robert H. Smith School of Business Foundation, which runs the business school’s executive education program. Two of them have since been fired, according to the investigation’s findings, while the third was the school’s "immediate past dean." https://dbknews.com/2019/10/19/umd-smith-school-foundation-contracts-illegal-government-fired/ 84FABE7D-F3BC-4D80-9578-87F75041D154 Sun, 20 Oct 2019 13:47:35 -0500 Research Fraud: A Purdue University professor and his wife, accused of funneling more that $1 million in National Science Foundation research money into a private company that served as a front to pay for their own personal expenses, pleaded guilty Friday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Qingyou Han, a mechanical engineering technology professor at Purdue since 2007 and director of Purdue’s Center for Materials Processing Research, and his wife, Lu Shao, pleaded guilty to felony charge of wire fraud on behalf of themselves and Shao’s company, Hans Tech of Lakewood, Ohio. https://www.jconline.com/story/news/2019/10/19/purdue-prof-wife-plead-guilty-1-3-m-scheme-pocketing-federal-research-money/4035498002/ 18ED3211-CB5D-413D-B4E7-436BEE95EF3A Sat, 19 Oct 2019 13:21:50 -0500 Grant Fraud: A former university professor in Philadelphia spent federal grant money on strip clubs and other personal expenses, prosecutors said Monday. Chika Nwankpa misappropriated grant money from the Navy, the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation over a period of 10 years, the U.S. attorney's office said. Drexel University discovered the alleged fraud in 2017 during an internal audit and alerted the government. Most of the money was spent on strip clubs and sports bars in the Philadelphia area, according to a news release. http://www.startribune.com/prosecutor-professor-spent-federal-grants-at-strip-clubs/562454412/?refresh=true A801C708-8293-4EA3-82E0-EF615EA74B2B Mon, 7 Oct 2019 09:35:39 -0500 Academic Dishonesty: About 70 students at the University of Texas at Austin are facing either automatic failing grades or expulsion for being members of a group message board where information about an upcoming test was posted. In a Sept. 20 email headed "A Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day for many of you," John Kappelman, a professor in UT’s anthropology department, accused over half the students in his introductory anthropology class of cheating after he learned of the group chat’s existence, something he said in the email was explicitly prohibited at the start of the semester. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/texas/article/70-University-of-Texas-students-face-discipline-14481343.php 45226D8A-3238-4028-A77B-3AC6AAFC2D55 Tue, 1 Oct 2019 08:59:17 -0500 Visa Fraud: The University of Massachusetts Boston was one of seven campuses nationwide targeted by a Chinese government official in a visa fraud scheme aimed at bringing foreign government recruiters to the United States under the guise of visiting research scholars, according to court documents. Zhongsan Liu, 57, of New Jersey, through his agency, the China Association for International Exchange of Personnel, allegedly worked with several unnamed people in the United States to persuade American universities to help Chinese government employees get into the country under a visa program for academics. But these Chinese officials would do little actual research, and their main purpose was to recruit scientists and experts to work in China, according to court documents unsealed in New York federal court earlier this month. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/09/25/umass-boston-targeted-chinese-visa-fraud-scheme/alwwKvA0FEUPh1Byh6P8EP/story.html 4E175136-BDFC-4B03-88B9-5E21D4559ED4 Wed, 25 Sep 2019 13:48:39 -0500 Fraud: Montgomery College sustained a "financial loss" after falling victim to a fraud scheme, the school announced Thursday afternoon. College and law enforcement officials were mum on details Thursday, but said the incident will not interrupt student activities or operations at the college. Officials did not specify what happened or disclose how much money was lost. A news release from the college said the crime occurred "earlier this month," but Marcus Rosano, director of media relations for the college, declined to give a specific date. https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/police-fire/montgomery-college-loses-money-in-fraud-scheme/ 2306D18A-B86A-4E55-823F-925D42C9A2AB Thu, 19 Sep 2019 12:37:03 -0500 Bank Fraud & Identity Theft: A former FSU Credit Union lending director was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to 20 counts of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft and theft from a lending institution, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in a press release. Kevin Robert Lee, 35, stole more than $800,000 while he worked at the credit union, according to the Department of Justice. Lee was the lending director of FSU Credit Union from June 2014 to November 2017. https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Former-FSU-Credit-Union--560781631.html F93366F0-8733-4630-965F-3A57B009DA54 Thu, 19 Sep 2019 11:38:12 -0500 Conflict of Interest: State university system staff will have to revise a proposed policy on disclosing conflicts of interest after higher education officials voted against suggested changes prompted by an audit that found fault with the North Dakota State College of Science. The proposal comes five months after the state auditor’s office found Tony Grindberg, North Dakota State College of Science vice president of workforce affairs, did not disclose on paper that his wife, Karen, is the chief financial officer for the Flint Group, which was hired to promote a proposed career workforce academy in Cass County. https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/education/4668902-After-critical-NDSCS-audit-changes-mulled-for-university-systems-conflict-of-interest-policy A12336E0-8620-4364-935C-DF7D1852D1AA Wed, 18 Sep 2019 13:24:38 -0500 Fraud: A former University of Texas at Austin facilities director facing felony charges ran an elaborate financial scheme from his perch at one of the state’s top law schools, costing the university nearly $1.6 million, an internal memorandum released Friday found. Jason Shoumaker is said to have engaged in a variety of financial and professional improprieties at UT-Austin, including funneling payments to vendors who may have been friends and associates, falsifying travel documents and educational credentials, and manipulating procurement processes to make a host of questionable purchases with little oversight. https://www.texastribune.org/2019/09/13/ut-austin-law-school-employee-financial-scheme-cost-more-1-million/ 5E9E489C-F18B-4E7C-BC98-F4D2AC49BF16 Fri, 13 Sep 2019 14:08:38 -0500 Wire Fraud & Money Laundering: A Stony Brook University professor is under arrest and on administrative leave after authorities say he stole more than $200,000 in cancer research funds to make payments on his home mortgage. Geoffrey Girnun, an associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Director of Cancer Metabolomics at the Renaissance School of Medicine, was charged in a seven-count indictment unsealed Thursday with theft of state and federal government funds, wire fraud and money laundering. https://abc7ny.com/stony-brook-prof-accused-of-stealing-$200k-in-cancer-research-funds/5534973/ B4CE9D83-1EBA-416D-A9F7-81B6F2CC454E Thu, 12 Sep 2019 17:45:49 -0500 Plagiarism: History professor Charles Armstrong cited nonexistent or irrelevant sources in at least 61 instances in his 2016 book, "Tyranny of the Weak: North Korea and the World, 1950-1992," according to the findings of an investigation by the University’s Standing Committee on the Conduct of Research. In a letter sent to select faculty on Tuesday, Interim Executive Vice President of the Arts and Sciences Maya Tolstoy announced that Armstrong, who is on sabbatical for the 2019-2020 academic year, will retire at the end of 2020. https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2019/09/12/history-professor-charles-armstrong-found-guilty-of-plagiarism-to-retire-in-2020/ 108248FF-B28C-4879-9927-00CA01455E66 Thu, 12 Sep 2019 14:53:53 -0500 Academic Fraud: In a transcript of a conversation recorded by the FBI in June 2017, but not previously published in the media, former Arizona assistant basketball coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson told undercover agents he paid $40,000 to a "high school coach" to help ensure the academic eligibility of former Wildcats player Rawle Alkins. Academic fraud and payments to a player’s family are potential Level I infractions, the most serious on the NCAA’s scale of violations. https://sports.yahoo.com/former-arizona-assistant-coach-allegedly-paid-40-k-to-high-school-coach-to-ensure-players-academic-eligibility-172419789.html EAA54DB6-3D5A-4A58-9454-2F0F75F8DE84 Wed, 11 Sep 2019 14:56:01 -0500 Research Fraud: A judge sentenced a former Virginia Tech scientist convicted of grant fraud to probation Friday, finding no need for prison given that the man served a combined two years in jail and on home confinement, didn’t profit personally, lost his career and reputation and is unlikely to reoffend. Yiheng "Percival" Zhang, 47, fell from bioscience acclaim after being charged with defrauding the National Science Foundation, a federal agency that pours billions into basic research at U.S. colleges and universities, according to court filings. https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/probation-ordered-for-former-virginia-tech-scientist-convicted-of-fraud/article_d8d3d2d3-117c-5ab1-bebc-7433a094e2c8.html FCF28E37-2C8A-4A2B-BB48-0ECEA68F0105 Fri, 6 Sep 2019 13:16:52 -0500 Use of Funds: The California State University system is investigating the business spending of a Cal State San Marcos dean who stayed at Ritz-Carlton hotels, took chauffeured car rides and bought expensive meals including a $110 steak. Michael Schroder, dean of extended learning and associate vice president for international programs, filed dozens of such expenses over the past two years, including first-class travel, limousine rides and multi-night stays at luxury hotels like the Ritz-Carlton in Bahrain, where the $345 daily rate exceeded the university limit, according to a U-T Watchdog review of his expense reports dating to August 2017. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/watchdog/story/2019-09-04/chauffeurs-first-class-air-and-a-110-steak-all-in-a-days-work-for-cal-state-san-marcos-dean 176061DA-C7A2-431F-B9E1-F8091CF6EA37 Thu, 5 Sep 2019 16:30:28 -0500 Admissions Scandal: The emails to the dean of admissions flagged students that the athletic department had taken a special interest in -- not, apparently, for their prowess on the field or in the pool. "Long time donors," read a note about one applicant. "$3 mil to Men’s Golf-Thailand," read another. And the notes about applicants -- and donated sums -- went on: "$15 mil." "Previously donated $25K to Heritage Hall." "Pledged 1 million." The spreadsheets, along with emails reflecting sometimes crass internal discussions of such applicants, were made public on Tuesday as part of a legal filing in the nation’s largest-ever college admissions corruption prosecution. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/03/us/usc-college-admission-scandal.html 65F9933E-61B6-454E-8305-E3886617C5C8 Tue, 3 Sep 2019 12:56:04 -0500 Embezzlement: A former University of Georgia employee stole more than $1.3 million from the school’s Greek Life Office over 10 years before committing suicide on campus in June, an internal investigation revealed. Authorities determined Lasina Evans, an administrative associate who worked in the Greek Life Office since 2000, diverted university funds into personal accounts and made unauthorized withdrawals from 2009 through June 2019, according to documents obtained Saturday through an Open Records request. https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/uga-now-deceased-employee-stole-million-from-greek-life-organizations/m5gX585RQuuT6c5sOu5BxI/ 8B05B000-2056-402D-AE5A-56118BEBDE51 Sun, 1 Sep 2019 10:42:23 -0500 Academic Fraud: Several exchange students from China were denied re-entry to the U.S. by Customs and Border Protection while returning to Arizona State University. In a statement, ASU said the students were detained by federal authorities at Los Angeles International Airport and denied admission to the U.S. to continue their studies. Officials said they are working as quickly as possible to coordinate with the federal government to understand the circumstances surrounding these actions and to rectify the situation. https://www.abc15.com/news/region-southeast-valley/tempe/arizona-state-university-students-denied-entry-to-us-over-alleged-academic-fraud EE6E6C82-59D0-4517-A8D9-07AED4D13292 Sun, 1 Sep 2019 14:10:38 -0500 Fraud: The former controller at the College of New Rochelle will spend time behind bars and repay millions after admitting to doctoring the school’s books by nearly $34 million dollars, forcing the 115-year-old institution to close its doors. Keith Borge, 62, of Valley Cottage, has been sentenced to three years in prison, $25,000 in fines and will pay restitution that reaches as much as $13.2 million after pleading guilty securities fraud and failure to pay $20.4 million in payroll taxes. https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/newrochelle/news/college-of-new-rochelle-controller-sentenced-must-repay-millions-for-fraud/774694/ AA27F05E-F300-42B3-B29B-C8AE5D9EABCD Wed, 28 Aug 2019 12:06:32 -0500 Fraud: A college student was arrested on August 28 after allegedly committing fraud and attempted fraud while working at an on-campus restaurant in April 2019, according to a probable cause affidavit. Police learned that Katherine Jin, 20, was a student at the University of Notre Dame as well as an employee at an on-campus Au Bon Pain restaurant from January 20, 2018 to May 24, 2019, court documents said. https://www.abc57.com/news/college-student-accused-of-defrauding-customers-at-on-campus-job C090F55F-CFF2-4E91-9D16-72D117908E1B Thu, 29 Aug 2019 14:27:39 -0500 Academic Misconduct: A former Mississippi State student and part-time athletics department tutor committed academic misconduct in an online general chemistry course to aid 10 football student-athletes and a men’s basketball student-athlete, according to a negotiated resolution agreement approved by a Division I Committee on Infractions panel. The university and the NCAA enforcement staff agreed that the former tutor completed multiple assignments, exams and, in some instances, nearly the entire course for student-athletes. The university determined the activity violated its academic misconduct policy. http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/mississippi-state-tutor-committed-academic-misconduct-aid-11-student-athletes 3B2DB095-4A4F-41A1-A538-BCCB8C0ADA1C Fri, 23 Aug 2019 11:22:03 -0500 Research Misconduct: The University of Kentucky says two of its professors and a research scientist are responsible for 'significant research misconduct' after it conducted an internal investigation. The university announced Friday that it will seek the termination of professors Xianglin Shi and Zhuo Zhang in the Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology in the College of Medicine as a result of the investigation. UK has already fired research scientist Donghern Kim, who worked in Zhang's lab. https://www.wsaz.com/content/news/UK-2-professors-research-scientist-responsible-for-significant-research-misconduct-558010251.html 196E054A-5A0F-4021-8C2B-492357525176 Fri, 23 Aug 2019 11:09:12 -0500 Embezzlement: Former University of New Mexico athletic director Paul Krebs, who left in 2017 amid questions over spending, has been indicted in connection with a lavish 2015 golf trip to Scotland that was partly paid for with state funds, according to court documents filed Wednesday. The indictment filed in state district court charges Krebs, 63, with embezzlement over $20,000 for using $24,500 in school money to pay for three people not affiliated with the university to go on the trip. He also is charged with lesser embezzlement counts, larceny, and tampering. https://www.foxnews.com/sports/former-new-mexico-ad-indicted-on-embezzlement-charges F1D3FEDE-D2E0-4CA5-95AD-39CC8D53787B Thu, 22 Aug 2019 13:14:39 -0500 Wire & Program Fraud: A University of Kansas associate professor on Wednesday was indicted on federal charges alleging he concealed he worked for a Chinese university while doing U.S. government-funded research. Feng "Franklin" Tao, 47, of Lawrence, who taught chemical engineering and chemistry at KU’s Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis, is charged with one count of wire fraud and three counts of program fraud. The Kansas Board of Regents requires faculty and staff of its universities to file a conflict of interest report when they are hired and every year afterward for as long as they are employed. https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article234237337.html 9C9875B6-E480-4C34-9AB3-94BF269409CD Wed, 21 Aug 2019 13:16:45 -0500 Research Grant Fraud: A former Georgia Tech professor has pleaded guilty to federal charges accusing him of defrauding the National Science Foundation out of nearly $40,000. Maysam Ghovanloo,46, had been employed by Georgia Tech for 12 years, according to his profile on LinkedIn.com. In 2012, he founded Bionic Sciences, an organization that bills itself as a medical device developer and designer. Prosecutors said Ghovanloo submitted forms with fake and fraudulent information in order to obtain the federal research grant. https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/georgia-tech-professor-pleads-guilty-defrauding-government-program-nearly-40k/m009MR6HFzCLzLKnK3pmxL/ 70E3B08B-704C-45B7-8874-F858FAEB2D5C Wed, 21 Aug 2019 13:12:56 -0500 Workplace Injury Fraud: A former employee of City College of San Francisco is facing several felony charges for allegedly misrepresenting injuries she suffered while on the job, the District Attorney's Office announced Friday. Marta Betancur, 64, of Antioch has been charged with attempted perjury and filing a false or fraudulent claim, among other charges. Betancur was arraigned Wednesday on the charges and entered a plea of not guilty, prosecutors said. https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/San-Francisco-City-College-Employee-Charged-With-Fraud-Over-Workplace-Injury-Claims-548414211.html 495B8B70-80D8-4167-89DE-61B480F27823 Fri, 16 Aug 2019 13:26:50 -0500 Theft: A University of Minnesota employee who pleaded guilty to stealing university computers and selling them was sentenced Wednesday. Court records show Michael James McDaniel, 35, of Lilydale, was convicted of two counts of theft by swindle after pleading guilty to the counts in June. According to a criminal complaint, a U of M human resources employee noticed a discrepancy in newly-purchased computers involving McDaniel in October 2018. The complaint states it appeared he was buying computers for his department through the university bookstores but not registering them through IT. https://kstp.com/news/u-of-m-employee-michael-mcdaniel-sentenced-for-stealing-selling-university-computers/5457507/ 57EBC1B4-366D-4323-A78A-5C44D336A68E Wed, 14 Aug 2019 10:50:55 -0500 Embezzlement: A former St. Louis Community College employee admitted in federal court to embezzling millions of dollars from the college over the last 20 years, US Attorney Jeffrey Jensen said Wednesday. According to prosecutors, Donald Robison stole millions in state job training funds between August 1998 and November 2018 and moved the money between bank and investment accounts. https://fox2now.com/2019/08/14/st-louis-community-college-employee-pleads-guilty-to-embezzling-college-funds/ 2A58505C-7165-4562-AE2E-56CCD94EB6DC Wed, 14 Aug 2019 10:47:40 -0500 Conflict of Interests: William Roper, the interim president of the University of North Carolina system and former longtime CEO of the UNC Health Care System, failed to disclose his seats on the boards of major corporations between 2011 and 2019, at the same time as those corporations did business with the state, records show. Records show the corporate boards seats have been lucrative. The omissions on Roper’s forms came as the companies on whose boards he sat conducted business with the state and engaged in research with and received patient referrals from the UNC Health Care System. https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article233610797.html F7630D3F-7D38-43D6-B846-5297DED418CE Thu, 8 Aug 2019 11:36:51 -0500 Theft: A former band director at Southern University in Louisiana is accused of pocketing more than $293,000 from public funds owed to the school. A report released Monday by Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera says Nathan Haymer set up a collection system with an unauthorized third party to collect the money. The Advocate reports Haymer also appears to have submitted false invoices, collecting about $46,000 from the university in expense reimbursements he didn't incur. He also received about $43,000 in payments from Mardi Gras krewes for the band's performances at the parade from 2015 to 2018. https://www.katc.com/news/covering-louisiana/former-southern-university-band-director-accused-of-stealing C1D253E3-AD9E-44C2-9DCE-7EFB8BE18C91 Mon, 22 Jul 2019 13:18:36 -0500 Wire Fraud Mistrial: A former Michigan State University professor and world-renowned robotics expert accused of defrauding MSU will not be retried after jurors could not agree on a verdict at his trial in federal court. Ning Xi, charged with wire fraud, was accused by federal authoriites of defrauding MSU and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE, a non-profit headquartered in New York, of hundreds of thousands of dollars. https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2019/07/ex-msu-professor-world-renowned-robotics-expert-cleared-of-wire-fraud.html 45DDFE3A-2E61-47AA-A44E-AA093E17A608 Sat, 20 Jul 2019 13:43:03 -0500 Misrepresentation Fraud: Two former Grand Canyon University students are suing the school, alleging that recruiters committed fraud by misrepresenting whether the school's degrees would work properly in their home states. The lawsuit was filed Thursday by attorney E. Adam Webb in Fulton County, Georgia. The students live in Georgia and West Virginia and attended GCU online. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2019/07/18/grand-canyon-university-recruiters-committed-fraud-lawsuit-alleges/1772342001/ 71ADC1C1-0107-4DB9-999E-57CA62757AC7 Thu, 18 Jul 2019 10:47:16 -0500 Money Laundering: A money launderer who targeted University of Iowa employees in 2015 will face prison time, following sentencing by a United States District Court judge. Nadine Nzuega Robinson, 39, pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in October and was sentenced this week to 120 months in prison for a scheme to cash federal tax refunds belonging to dozens of University of Iowa employees. https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/2019/07/16/woman-who-stole-450-000-university-iowa-employees-sentenced/1747023001/ 4528C6AF-7583-43FE-92C1-1227AF73C302 Tue, 16 Jul 2019 10:44:08 -0500 Embezzlement Charges: A former financial supervisor at Northern New Mexico College has been charged with embezzlement, more than two years after she admitted to State Police to stealing money from the school. Henrietta Trujillo, 63, was charged with one count of embezzlement for stealing about $82,000 in cash from the college between August 2012 and December 2014, according to a criminal information filed in Rio Arriba County District Court on Friday. https://www.abqjournal.com/1339824/after-2-years-admitted-embezzler-at-nnmc-charged.html D6C8A29D-745C-4346-9A6A-BDB7DAC3BD9C Fri, 12 Jul 2019 11:27:14 -0500 Conflict of Interest: Harvard said Tuesday that it is firing its longtime fencing coach, finding that he violated the university’s conflict-of-interest policy by selling his home to a wealthy businessman whose teenage son was looking to apply to the university and fence on the team. The property, a modest three-bedroom Colonial in Needham, was assessed at $549,300, and sold for $989,500. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/07/09/harvard-fires-fencing-coach-over-house-sale/0JhtiyxuXh6ui9NitxHPcP/story.html 33BEFF80-0C5C-44CF-A2EA-754ED89CCA43 Tue, 9 Jul 2019 14:54:11 -0500 Embezzlement: A Florence man has been charged with taking class registration fees from Clemson University for his own personal use. Agents of the S.C. Law Enforcement Division charged Jacob Stokes, 36, on Friday with embezzlement of public funds, value less than $10,000. The SLED investigation was requested by the Clemson University Police Department. Stokes was acting as an agent of Clemson Extension at the time of the incident, according to SLED. He collected $100 from each of 14 individuals at a pesticide applicator course, according to the report. https://www.wbtw.com/crime/florence-man-charged-with-taking-clemson-university-fees-for-personal-use/ 476B03BA-3AC6-41F9-A81D-D38535DA2CCD Mon, 8 Jul 2019 09:29:12 -0500 Misuse of Funds: A Michigan college is accusing the University of Missouri of misusing millions of dollars in an endowment from 2003. Hillsdale College, located in south Michigan, sued the university in 2017 over the school's handling of a multimillion-dollar endowment to hire business and economics professors. The college says MU has not followed the instructions of the endowment and that Hillsdale should instead get the money. https://www.abc17news.com/news/michigan-college-accuses-mu-of-misusing-millions-in-endowment/1092432550 E5D8C326-96F5-4CC4-81E3-9814492B99FD Fri, 5 Jul 2019 13:47:44 -0500 Employee Theft: A Lilydale man has admitted to stealing about $134,000 worth of computers from the University of Minnesota department where he worked. Michael McDaniel, 34, pleaded guilty on Wednesday in Hennepin County Court to four counts of theft by swindle. Between 2017 and 2018, McDaniel, who worked at the U’s Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, bought 78 computers for his department through the university bookstore, according to the charges against him. Instead of registering the computers with the U’s IT department, McDaniel sold them and pocketed the proceeds, the charges said. https://www.twincities.com/2019/06/27/former-umn-employee-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-university-computers/ 50A46804-C2AF-45A5-90CF-FC15EC453BD9 Sat, 29 Jun 2019 12:46:09 -0500 Student Aid Fraud: Three Southern California women have been arrested on suspicion of stealing more than $1 million in federal student financial aid through Fullerton College. Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that the trio enrolled hundreds of mostly non-existent students, successfully applied for grants and loans and then pocketed the money. https://www.kron4.com/news/california/3-women-accused-of-stealing-1m-in-financial-aid-through-california-college/ 2D3C4183-A02D-485D-AA68-B2B8C30B75A7 Sat, 29 Jun 2019 12:44:27 -0500 Mail Fraud: A former employee of a U.S. Postal Service contractor has been charged with mail fraud after being accused of stealing gift cards from mail sent to Edgewood College students. Kevin T. Funches is charged with felony mail fraud, a misdemeanor count of theft and a misdemeanor count of unauthorized opening of letters. https://wkow.com/news/top-stories/2019/06/19/former-postal-service-contractor-charged-with-stealing-mail-from-edgewood-college/ ADE883D7-9672-49D3-A725-17F4EE2E9A15 Wed, 19 Jun 2019 14:23:09 -0500 Unauthorized Expenditures: The fresh discovery of Florida A&M University’s practice of using unauthorized auxiliary funds to cover expenses in its athletics department dates to at least the fall of 2016 -- just before university officials appeared before a Board of Governors committee to present a repayment plan for the same infractions committed in previous years. The latest revelations surfaced last week, resulting in the June 7 forced resignation of Wanda Ford, vice president for finance and administration and the university’s CFO, and the firings last week of Ronica Mathis, director of university budgets, and Tiffany Holmes, university controller and assistant vice president. https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2019/06/17/internal-audit-famu-athletics-led-red-flags-auxiliary-monies/1463525001/ 9E9BA187-F90D-499F-84F3-2C0C93460BCC Mon, 17 Jun 2019 16:57:56 -0500 Theft: A former University of Toledo employee accused of stealing thousands of dollars will be screened for a spot in a diversion program. Jason Woodward is charged with theft in office, according to Lucas County Common Pleas Court records. The allegations stem from approximately 2013 to 2018. Mr. Woodward had access to accounts at the UT credit union and pulled funds for personal expenses over that time, leaving a deficit of approximately $50,000, said James Tafelski, assistant Lucas County prosecutor. https://www.toledoblade.com/local/courts/2019/06/12/former-university-of-toledo-employee-jason-woodward-accused-of-stealing/stories/20190612161 7CA508C2-EF11-47FE-8DCE-716EF7D7D210 Wed, 12 Jun 2019 12:51:33 -0500 Attempted Theft: A student at Augusta University has been arrested and charged after police say she intended to sell university property. Officers say Kailyn Jackson, 18, listed the following as up for sale on the OfferUp website: a purple chair, two blue Fatboy bean bags, four black outdoor chairs, a black patio table, a grey chair with a black end table, two rolling chairs, and two purple Fatboy bean bags. https://www.wrdw.com/content/news/Augusta-University-student-18-arrested-for-stealing-and-selling-dorm-furniture-511067772.html 431F816C-5E95-4CCA-BB1D-741E96B373CC Mon, 10 Jun 2019 13:14:36 -0500 Theft of Trade Secrets: Two scientists have been arrested and charged with attempting to steal trade secrets from the Water Institute of the Gulf, a world-renowned water research institution in Baton Rouge. According to the indictment filed in Louisiana’s Middle District Court, Ehab Meselhe and Kelin Hu both worked at the Water Institute and conspired to knowingly steal and duplicate information about the Basin Wide Model, which predicts how the Mississippi Delta could change over time. https://www.wafb.com/2019/06/05/louisiana-scientists-accused-stealing-trade-secrets-renowned-baton-rouge-water-institute/ 07819AC1-4606-45D3-BE87-D74178AFF8B9 Wed, 5 Jun 2019 13:52:10 -0500 Student Loan Fraud: A former Tennessee State University admissions worker is charged with diverting student federal aid into his bank accounts in 2014-15. U.S. Attorney Donald Cochran’s office says 31-year-old Renauld Clayton of Chicago, formerly of Nashville, was indicted last week on charges of student loan fraud, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. The indictment says the U.S. Department of Education determined $84,506 had been misappropriated and Clayton had fraudulently deposited $60,000-plus into his personal bank accounts. https://newschannel9.com/news/local/ex-tennessee-college-worker-charged-with-student-loan-fraud BBA0A6C4-B14E-4D4E-8214-47564F5BED7D Wed, 5 Jun 2019 10:33:44 -0500 Embezzlement: Two former community college employees have been arrested on indictments they stole more than $750,000. Mississippi’s state auditor says Gwendolyn Jefferson and Stacie Neal used Coahoma Community College credit cards to buy items including shoes, watches and a chandelier from 2013 to 2017. https://www.magnoliastatelive.com/2019/06/03/two-charged-with-stealing-more-than-750000-from-community-college/ 94F99B23-275F-48AD-87A9-F269D94878A7 Mon, 3 Jun 2019 10:18:33 -0500 Ethics Investigation Results: A former chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court who investigated allegations of impropriety in the school's economics department has found that Arizona State University officials committed no ethical breaches. In the report released Tuesday, former Chief Justice Ruth McGregor wrote that she found "no evidence" to support the claim from a former economics professor that ASU agreed to use products from textbook developer Cengage in exchange for a large grant from the company. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2019/05/28/asu-economics-scandal-school-cleared-former-chief-justice-cengage-mindtap-professor-brian-goegan/1265822001/ CA7DE99F-5354-4911-A1C3-511DFAB7C582 Fri, 31 May 2019 14:48:19 -0500 A Gulf Coast State College employee charged with larceny after deputies say she stole more than $60,000 from the school. They say after an audit, administrators believe the suspect, Emily Batson,30, stole the money. Deputies say Batson was responsible for giving out weekly cash allotments to pay for food on the weekends for athletes on scholarship. https://www.wjhg.com/content/news/Gulf-Coast-State-College-employee-accused-of-stealing-60000-from-school-510560911.html 93F60573-33EB-4B08-B0D6-ECF5B237C080 Wed, 29 May 2019 13:05:20 -0500 The University of Oklahoma has been stripped of its US News & World Report ranking due to reports of false data. Every year, colleges are ranked based on a number of factors, including alumni donations. According to the OU Daily, the university’s giving rate was listed at almost 14 percent. However, data shows the average number was half of that, just seven percent. Another report reveals the university forged the numbers for two decades. https://kfor.com/2019/05/24/ou-stripped-of-us-news-world-report-ranking/ A227DA03-89A7-4BB7-9A7B-6AD45C099867 Fri, 24 May 2019 12:59:28 -0500 Amid soaring U.S. concern about China’s infiltration in Western scientific research, Emory University has found that two of its researchers did not disclose money they were taking from Chinese sources, and that the two did more work for research institutions and universities in China than they had let on. The two are no longer working at Emory. https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/new-findings-emory-researchers-didn-disclose-chinese-funding-ties/QQ58XiznSllTLYv5rARfjL/ 09BA4308-A87B-46CE-BA1D-C9D0A2D826D0 Thu, 23 May 2019 12:32:18 -0500 MIT professor Ram Sasisekharan made his name on the idea that algorithms and computer models could lead to better and more potent therapies, a promise that launched three biotech companies and attracted hundreds of millions of dollars. But two treatments purportedly discovered with Sasisekharan’s computational approach are almost identical to compounds that had previously been described by other labs, according to a new paper by outside researchers. The finding casts serious doubts on the integrity of Sasisekharan’s research, the authors claim. https://www.statnews.com/2019/05/21/mit-professor-is-accused-of-claiming-others-scientific-discoveries-as-his-own/ A338F5FA-7295-445F-B1C3-EF3030E9F37B Tue, 21 May 2019 12:33:46 -0500 Tenured journalism professor Buck Ryan has initiated legal proceedings against some of the University of Kentucky’s top administrative officials, alleging they defamed him and retaliated against him after he refused to resign. The lawsuit comes after UK administrators initiated termination proceedings against Ryan in May 2018, following the publication of an internal audit that said Ryan profited from the sales of his self-authored textbook that was required for some of his classes. http://www.kykernel.com/news/tenured-professor-sues-provost-dean-other-administrators/article_20046082-767e-11e9-a32a-ff187ffccca4.html F3173DF6-6705-4C88-B28D-D8AE374EA05B Tue, 14 May 2019 13:04:30 -0500 Daniel Cabanillas, 49, an administrator at an Erie university was ordered to serve probation Monday at his sentencing in a federal visa fraud case related to his former employment at another local university. The charges stemmed from his time at Mercyhurst University, where he served as the designated school official for the student exchange visitor program. The government charged that Cabanillas falsely claimed on a visa form that a student had been accepted to a Mercyhurst master’s degree program. https://www.goerie.com/news/20190513/university-official-gets-probation-in-erie-visa-fraud D5A93A2A-BACC-4BFB-918B-DD39625F1A9E Tue, 14 May 2019 09:42:45 -0500 Seven individuals face arrest warrants from the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office for 22 counts of fraudulent claims of more than $527,000 in connection with the fund set up to assist victims of pedophile Larry Nassar. In a press release Wednesday, the MSU Police Department said it had received information about the fraudulent reimbursements in fall 2018. After a review of invoices, officials discovered the fraudulent payments. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/05/14/7-face-fraud-charges-over-michigan-state-healing-fund/3665658002/ A46FAD0C-13E6-4CC6-B861-0C81F38B03D1 Tue, 14 May 2019 10:21:21 -0500 Laura Janke, a former USC soccer coach who is cooperating with a federal investigation into college admissions fraud, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Boston to a racketeering conspiracy charge. Janke, 36, admitted to conspiring with Newport Beach college admissions consultant William "Rick" Singer to slip the children of wealthy and powerful families through what Singer dubbed the "side door" -- a scheme in which Singer traded six-figure bribes for seats the universities set aside for recruited athletes. https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-college-admissions-scandal-janke-plea-20190514-story.html 2B948729-B5BC-4BAA-868A-BA3BE468E407 Tue, 14 May 2019 09:58:08 -0500 Agents have arrested a North Charleston man accused of stealing a College of Charleston student's transcript in order to get into graduate programs and land a job at Boeing. According to SLED investigators, in May of 2018, Billy Joe Bell went to the registrar’s office at the College of Charleston and brought several documents including a sworn affidavit in order to change a student’s personal information to that of his own. https://www.live5news.com/2019/05/09/sled-n-charleston-man-steals-cofc-students-transcripts-get-into-graduate-programs-land-boeing-job/ FE81D1F3-1547-44B9-AB65-0248DFA45763 Fri, 10 May 2019 12:13:19 -0500 Signs appeared at the food court in Loyola’s Damen Student Center at the start of the spring semester, notifying students of cameras in an apparent attempt to discourage shoplifters. However, neither Loyola’s Campus Safety, other departments, or Aramark -- the company that runs the food court -- acknowledge being the ones to post the signs. Regardless, interviews by The Phoenix reveal theft has been a problem at the student center, which sells snack food, candy and some fresh produce to students. http://loyolaphoenix.com/2019/05/some-students-admit-to-stealing-from-damen-food-court-saying-its-warranted/ 725AAEF4-14D9-49BA-A6C3-72B848104BEE Wed, 8 May 2019 12:19:32 -0500 A former assistant athletics director was sentenced Monday to 21 months in prison for stealing $361,336 from the University of Minnesota over five years. Brent Holck, 37, was given a lighter-than-expected sentence because he’s taken responsibility for his crime and is making efforts to pay back what he stole. From April 2012 through January 2017, Holck would cancel ticket sales to games after they’d taken place and deposit the refunded money into his own accounts. https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/crime-and-courts/4609044-former-university-minnesota-athletics-official-sentenced-fraud 2201C51E-652B-4368-9C10-6C0DD9CC20BD Mon, 6 May 2019 10:52:10 -0500 Purdue University President Mitch Daniels says he "bent over triple-backwards" to avoid the appearance of favoritism in the school's agreement to let his daughter's company showcase its tiny homes during tailgating on football weekends at the West Lafayette campus. Purdue Research Foundation signed a contract this year with Daniels' daughter, Maggie Daniels, allowing her Try It Tiny company to rent out up to eight 200-square-foot homes as a tailgate village near Ross-Ade Stadium. https://www.apnews.com/0cfd5454c4f0416f88e55c97bf60bfd4 5AA80DB2-8D36-4E77-A32A-7AA96D182A85 Mon, 6 May 2019 10:28:48 -0500 The former house director for a University of Wisconsin sorority is accused of embezzling more than $225,000 from the Madison group over a period of six years. The State Journal reports that Madison police have issued an arrest warrant for 61-year-old Pamela Dorton. She’s facing charges of theft and fraudulent writings. https://www.apnews.com/2f730ac6f7dc4e5d925e4f083ecee8d2 3A876D3B-6087-406E-80D6-ED9C173F4443 Fri, 3 May 2019 10:26:57 -0500 A former University at Buffalo architect has pleaded guilty to bilking the school out of more than $15,000 in wages. From June 17, 2016-Sept. 30, 2017, James Spratz was working as a UB Project Manager with the Facilities Planning and Design Department. The DA says Spratz defrauded his employer by reporting he was working at his full-time university job when he was not, sometimes being paid by private outside firms not related to UB. https://news.wbfo.org/post/former-ub-architect-pleads-guilty-15600-fraudulent-wages 80B356FE-0189-401E-B0E2-4A48F208AAE2 Thu, 2 May 2019 12:36:55 -0500 St. Louis Community College says a longtime employee embezzled at least $5.4 million in state money that was supposed to be used for a job-training program. The theft went undetected for at least a decade, college officials claim. The college has filed suit in St. Louis County Circuit Court against the employee, Donald Robison. https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/st-louis-community-college-alleges-employee-stole-million/article%e2%80%94c121ed45-ad50-5e83-9ca1-9ecd935cf34f.html E5F45CC0-6558-4F1B-94B9-B08F3A236BB2 Thu, 2 May 2019 10:58:17 -0500 Former Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court Ruth McGregor will conduct an independent investigation into alleged unethical practices within ASU's economics department, according to a letter sent to Undergraduate Student Government Tempe Senate Tuesday morning. The practices in question at ASU came to light two weeks ago, when clinical assistant professor Brian Goegan blasted an email to students and created a website that accused the University of requiring economics professors to fail students, forcing students to pay for software to turn in their homework and profiting from the software designed at the expense of students. https://www.statepress.com/article/2019/04/spcommunity-asu-announces-external-investigation-into-economics-department-practices ADF4FAFF-EA9C-4809-B613-B4808380FC5A Wed, 1 May 2019 11:00:34 -0500 A Southern Illinois University professor has been charged with stealing property from SIU. 39-year-old Jeremy Davis of Carterville, Illinois is accused of stealing a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine and a Nano Drop machine from the university on July 1, 2018. https://www.wpsdlocal6.com/2019/04/26/siu-professor-charged-with-stealing-property-from-university/ E6418DA4-B103-46A5-8D3C-CBB402BD2C90 Fri, 26 Apr 2019 12:53:29 -0500 The former director of auxiliary services at Connecticut College was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for using various embezzlement schemes to steal $173,000 while employed by the college. Michael Kmec, 40, of Marlborough had pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. https://www.theday.com/local-news/20190424/former-connecticut-college-administrator-goes-to-prison-for-embezzlement 1A032BC7-2176-47F3-ACAF-C110FFE5A484 Thu, 25 Apr 2019 09:52:37 -0500 A former University of Southern California assistant women's soccer coach has agreed to plead guilty to engaging in a racketeering scheme in which she accepted bribes to help wealthy parents get their children into the school as part of the largest college admissions scandal in U.S. history. Laura Janke, who worked at USC until 2014, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiring to commit racketeering, according to a plea agreement filed in federal court in Boston on Tuesday. https://wkzo.com/news/articles/2019/apr/23/ex-usc-soccer-coach-to-plead-guilty-in-college-admissions-scandal/ B4C55F7C-B145-4C72-A6D2-F2B294EF1CAC Tue, 23 Apr 2019 11:12:10 -0500 Two former employees have been arrested after allegedly stealing $20,000 in electronics from Franklin Pierce University in Goodyear. Goodyear police report that on April 10 about 4 a.m. a custodian at Franklin Pierce University near 145th Avenue and Van Buren Street saw a man and woman leaving a building carrying a box. They soon discovered "a large number of computers were stolen from the University." Some of the stolen items included 14 computers, thumb drives, cash, checks and a briefcase containing medical records. https://www.abc15.com/news/crime/goodyear-pd-couple-arrested-after-stealing-20-000-in-equipment-from-franklin-pierce-univ ED5F8E61-E47E-40B6-9EF8-A8F64B75AB90 Sun, 21 Apr 2019 13:15:04 -0500 Arizona State University inappropriately spent more than $1 million in research grant funds on things like scholarships, equipment and travel, a federal audit published Tuesday found. The audit of National Science Foundation grant funds analyzed multiple grants the university received over two years. If the audit’s findings hold up through the NSF's resolution process, the university may have to repay more than $1 million to the federal agency. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2019/04/17/national-science-foundation-audit-finds-asu-misspent-more-than-1-million-nsf-tamara-deuser/3491508002/ 00AF7B56-5552-4570-8E7B-78B931138F69 Wed, 17 Apr 2019 14:15:36 -0500 A former associate registrar at Delaware State University has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes to change the registration status of hundreds of out-of-state students so they could pay cheaper in-state tuition at the historically black university. Prosecutors say that between 2013 and 2017, Crystal Martin accepted bribes from a DSU graduate who lives in New Jersey in exchange for agreeing to change the registration status of hundreds of out-of-state students, using forged residency documents prepared by the unidentified coconspirator. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/former-dsu-pleads-guilty-to-accepting-bribes/2019/04/17/c88eeb24-612e-11e9-bf24-db4b9fb62aa2_story.html F080AF34-89B9-4C3B-AD91-0BCD59EA25EF Wed, 17 Apr 2019 12:39:22 -0500 The former Reedley College employee who investigators believe was stealing equipment from the chemistry department and selling it on eBay will spend no time in jail. Instead, Jason Meyers received probation for four years. He will also have to repay $15,000 in restitution to Reedley College. On eBay, Meyers operated under the name gamingkid2012. Investigators say he used his chemistry tech job to steal and sell various science-related items. https://abc30.com/reedley-college-employee-who-stole-chemistry-equipment-must-pay-$15000-no-jail-time/5244342/ 3E004873-EF72-46E4-8CD2-38D3FA879014 Fri, 12 Apr 2019 10:48:47 -0500 The former men’s tennis coach at the University of Texas has agreed to plead guilty in the sweeping college admissions bribery scandal. Federal authorities said Monday that Michael Center will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. Center was accused of accepting nearly $100,000 to help a non-tennis playing applicant get admitted as a recruit. Once enrolled, the student never played. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2019/04/08/former-texas-longhorns-tennis-coach-pleads-guilty-college-admissions/3405114002/ 437E7245-4419-44E6-BF01-831881143993 Mon, 8 Apr 2019 12:34:48 -0500 A Central Illinois woman is accused of embezzling more than $161,000 in cash from sales at Bone Student Center at Illinois State University. Debbie White, 58, of Benson, was arrested at 9:08 a.m. Monday after officers, watching a live camera feed set up to watch her actions, found her stuffing cash from receipts at the student center into envelopes and then into her clothing. https://herald-review.com/news/state-and-regional/crime-and-courts/illinois-state-university-employee-accused-of-stealing-more-than-cash/article_64c8dc1d-5a74-5657-a749-bdb8c4dce3e3.html B59B670E-60FA-4254-8B66-C73AA0941410 Tue, 2 Apr 2019 13:19:48 -0500 Duke will pay $112.5 million to the federal government in a settlement for a lawsuit regarding its handling of falsified data that the suit alleged was linked to $200 million in federal research grants. The lawsuit, filed by former lab analyst Joseph Thomas, alleged Duke used the data to obtain grants and covered up the fraud. https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2019/03/duke-university-settlement-research-fraud-president-price-announces-research-fraud-settlement-with-substantial-payment-to-u-s-government 20A8416F-65EB-411D-A648-2CA870421B50 Mon, 25 Mar 2019 13:59:17 -0500 Two men are facing several charges after police say he stole instruments and equipment from the University of Louisville School of Music. According to court documents, 52-year-old Anthony Abrams and another man have stolen equipment valued at more than $70,000 in the past 30 days. Police say Abrams entered the school and stole the equipment on at least two occasions. https://www.wdrb.com/news/man-charged-with-stealing-equipment-from-u-of-l-s/article_613ccba0-4caf-11e9-9ebb-179deb64f62d.html 65AF3191-A4ED-42C8-97AB-778CD8C84BA1 Fri, 22 Mar 2019 14:42:04 -0500 A former employee has been charged with using University of Minnesota funds to buy dozens of computers that he resold, possibly to fund his travel and gambling expenses. Michael J. McDaniel, 34, told university authorities that three men assaulted him in 2017 and coerced him into making the purchases, according to charges filed in Hennepin County District Court. http://www.startribune.com/charges-u-of-m-employee-used-university-funds-to-buy-computers-he-resold-for-profit/507472832/ A71E0AA1-8C88-4F35-B438-97D983C1853D Thu, 21 Mar 2019 12:01:25 -0500 Louisiana State University "improperly compensated" a faculty member with more than $400,000 in salary and benefits over nearly three years even though he admitted to not doing his job, according to a new state audit. A report released Monday (March 18) by Louisiana Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera also found the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine failed to address the employee's lack of work. The employee reportedly failed to fulfill his employment duties during the period of August 2015 to September 2018. https://www.nola.com/education/2019/03/lsu-paid-400000-to-an-employee-who-didnt-actually-work-audit-says.html AF4BB75F-A1D2-4122-9357-C0FB0A098B7C Tue, 19 Mar 2019 12:47:34 -0500 University of Southern California students allegedly embroiled in the college admissions scandal that has rocked universities across the country won't be allowed to register for classes while officials conduct an internal investigation. "USC has placed holds on the accounts of students who may be associated with the alleged admissions scheme," the university announced in an update on its website on Monday. "This prevents the students from registering for classes or acquiring transcripts while their cases are under review." https://www.npr.org/2019/03/19/704934041/usc-suspends-accounts-of-students-allegedly-linked-to-admissions-bribery-scandal C0FA7FEE-F679-488B-94EB-5B5FC647EA91 Tue, 19 Mar 2019 09:48:29 -0500 Hollywood actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman are among at least 40 people charged in a $25 million college entrance exam cheating scheme, according to court documents unsealed Tuesday. The alleged scheme focused on getting students admitted to elite universities as recruited athletes, regardless of their athletic abilities, and helping potential students cheat on their college exams, according to the indictment unsealed in Boston. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna982136?__twitter_impression=true CEC42587-70EE-4FCA-8FD9-9AEF892A6701 Tue, 12 Mar 2019 11:54:01 -0500 The former business director of Washington University’s Division of Medical Education was sentenced Friday to 30 months in prison for embezzling almost $400,000 in three separate schemes that lasted nearly a decade. Barbara "Basia" Skudrzyk, 38, of Rock Hill, was also ordered to repay $381,583. Skudrzyk paid her moving company, a home cleaning service, divorce lawyers, painters and construction companies by creating, submitting and approving about $155,000 in false invoices to the university, Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith wrote in a court filing. https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/for-nearly-years-a-washington-university-official-embezzled-she-will/article_e0a5dd09-f91b-5487-a3e8-1d434dfb6e0e.html 6A333D67-7653-44F0-AC4E-0D19B5D94A9C Fri, 8 Mar 2019 11:50:33 -0500 The email from Maryland's university system chancellor promoting a jewelry company's charm bracelets was so unusual, it prompted a top Virginia university official to write to an aide to Chancellor Robert Caret, questioning its authenticity. The 2017 email also triggered a chain of events that led to a grievance over alleged retaliation by Caret and a settlement signed by the chancellor, according to emails and documents obtained by The Associated Press. In a recent interview Caret acknowledged he was wrong to send the email, but added that he did not consider it a significant ethical lapse. https://www.tristatehomepage.com/news/newsbreak-university-chiefs-email-triggered-ethics-queries/1829032135 1196B682-A905-4904-9E94-C16A483C1DB6 Tue, 5 Mar 2019 10:20:50 -0600 A former administrative officer in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is facing one charge of felony theft after being accused of embezzling $130,000 from the university. Former staff member Linda Heard, who started working at UTD in 1991, was indicted for theft of property, a second-degree felony, on Feb. 26. Her first court appearance is scheduled for March 29. Heard’s alleged misconduct was discovered through an internal audit of the department in 2018. https://utdmercury.com/former-chemistry-department-officer-indicted-on-theft-charge/ 821D1DB2-C124-4A5E-A42A-3F1BFE84B214 Mon, 4 Mar 2019 10:57:07 -0600 A husband and wife who worked at Utah Valley University for more than 15 years have been charged with taking more than $380,000 from the college through multiple alleged schemes that funneled money into their business accounts. An audit from the university allegedly show that Jennifer and Phil Clegg, of Lindon, were using the university’s money to renovate the family movie theater they own and pay for unauthorized travel expenses, including a trip to New York with students following a conference that attendees said "was nothing more than a vacation," according to charging documents. https://www.sltrib.com/news/2019/03/01/ex-employees-charged-with/ 546573F9-E4D3-41E0-BC66-54D90F20CCAE Fri, 1 Mar 2019 12:09:29 -0600 You'd think there would be plenty of educational opportunities for highly-paid University of New Mexico workers that want to get another degree. However, a News 13 Special Assignment reveals UNM used taxpayer money to send those employees to other universities, out of state. The schools include the University of Southern California, Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon University and Harvard. A UNM audit shows the Health Sciences Center spent hundreds of thousands of New Mexico taxpayer dollars on college degrees from out-of-state universities. https://www.krqe.com/news/investigations/unm-paid-for-employees-to-get-degrees-from-other-universities/1785585852 E84271A1-96D9-4B86-BD75-155C399B2B75 Fri, 1 Mar 2019 11:34:24 -0500 UMKC pharmacy professor Ashim Mitra stole a student’s research and sold it secretly to a pharmaceutical company, defrauding the university of millions of dollars, the University of Missouri alleges in a lawsuit filed Tuesday. Mitra, the suit alleges, already has improperly reaped $1.5 million from the sale and has the potential of earning $10 million more in royalties over the next five years from what the university says could be a billion-dollar drug. https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article226816514.html CD2C774B-ABC7-4314-8955-BFE7F44BBC97 Tue, 26 Feb 2019 12:41:58 -0600 Louisiana State University police say three men stole a John Deere utility vehicle from the football locker room and took it for an early-morning drunken joyride. When stopped, the men refused to tell police where they got the vehicle, but it had an LSU property tag and markings confirming it belonged to football equipment staff. The Gator XUV is valued at more than $10,000. https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/article226746039.html 96523415-8BF5-4877-87DF-3F7B4611EF03 Mon, 25 Feb 2019 13:37:06 -0600 A former Virginia Tech professor studying artificial sweeteners was found guilty last week of conspiring to commit federal grant fraud, making false statements and obstruction by falsification. According to the chief judge of the Western District of Virginia, Michael F. Urbanski, Yiheng Percival Zhang, 57, of Blacksburg, Va., is guilty of one charge of conspiracy to defraud the U.S., three counts of making false statement and one count of obstruction by falsification. "This verdict shows our commitment to hold individuals accountable who seek to fraudulently obtain federal funds. Mr. Zhang used his position of prominence to unlawfully seek money from federal grant programs and will now pay for it," FAUSA Bubar said today. https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Former-Virginia-Tech-professor-found-guilty-of-fraud-false-statements-obstruction-506322601.html 69906847-C4BD-4CEE-BBE8-8785C3987CD2 Mon, 25 Feb 2019 13:35:48 -0600 A former Rhodes College student pleaded guilty Tuesday to hacking into the college's computer system to change his grades and keep his scholarship. Michael Geddati, 20, was a freshman pre-med major when between December 2017 and May 2018, he accessed various systems without authorization to raise his grades. Geddati's actions were detected after a faculty member noticed that the grade in the computer system was higher than the one Geddati had earned. The investigation showed that on dozens of occasions, Geddati logged in as an instructor. He frequently changed his grades and was able to download an exam ahead of when it was given. https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/2019/02/12/ex-rhodes-college-hacking-changing-grades-michael-geddati/2848002002/ 0E600B27-3A84-4CFB-A0E0-536E23D74BD5 Tue, 12 Feb 2019 09:45:31 -0600 Calgary police are investigating after $46,000 worth of products were taken through fraudulent orders by people pretending to represent the University of Calgary. CPS first became aware of the scam on Jan. 19, after a local business received an email with a fake purchase order that appeared to be from the school, ordering $13,000 worth of power tools. The tools were delivered to a warehouse the next day and a receptionist signed for the tools. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/university-of-calgary-scam-fraud-emails-police-1.5010493 C03E2CA5-0B03-4B60-AE0F-D73CE6AE5298 Thu, 7 Feb 2019 11:35:16 -0600 Former University of New Mexico athletic director Paul Krebs, who left in 2017 amid questions over spending, was charged Wednesday with fraud, money laundering and other felonies, state prosecutors said. The attorney general's office said in a criminal complaint that Krebs used his position "to pursue his private interest by planning and participating in a trip to Scotland that was paid for by the University of New Mexico using public money." https://thesouthern.com/sports/ex-new-mexico-athletic-head-charged-with-fraud-laundering/article_01d2e02d-33be-5466-ad4d-9e779173dd21.html F7EBDCE8-7C3D-41F7-8735-E0E89BBE63E3 Wed, 6 Feb 2019 09:25:36 -0600 A former University of Missouri, Columbia, tutor violated NCAA ethical conduct, academic misconduct and academic extra benefits rules when she completed academic work for 12 student-athletes, according to a Division I Committee on Infractions panel. Although the tutor said she felt pressure to ensure student-athletes passed courses, according to the committee’s report, the investigation did not support that her colleagues directed her to complete the student-athletes’ work. https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/former-missouri-tutor-completed-coursework-12-student-athletes DD24B5AB-BD6C-4A52-9335-EDD72195FF00 Fri, 1 Feb 2019 13:15:17 -0600 A former UC Riverside employee who admitted embezzling money from the university to help his financially struggling father is awaiting sentencing. Lauren Michael Flores, 27, a Loma Linda resident, pleaded no contest on Nov. 28 to misdemeanor charges of grand theft from an employer and insurance fraud. The UCR police investigation began Dec. 1, 2017, after Professor Aaron Seitz, director of the UCR Brain Game Center, noticed that an $803.92 payment on an auto loan in Flores’ name had been made out of the Office of Research and Economic Development’s bank account, according to a declaration written to obtain an arrest warrant. https://www.pe.com/2019/01/30/man-admits-embezzling-money-from-uc-riverside-while-working-at-the-ucr-brain-game-center/ 33BB7144-4676-462A-B0BA-256ECF9580A5 Fri, 1 Feb 2019 09:56:53 -0600 Five students are charged with stealing wooden panels of North Carolina State University's former basketball court. News outlets report masked men entered Reynolds Coliseum on Dec. 7 and stole two of the panels from a storage area. Pieces of the original floor were being saved for historical value after the arena was remodeled in 2016. Campus police Maj. David Kelly says the panels valued at $1,300 each were recovered, but one was damaged beyond repair. https://tucson.com/sports/basketball/college/students-charged-with-stealing-pieces-of-basketball-court/article_d5ea9c4a-cfea-53c7-9908-b10cc72ca8d7.html FB179472-1692-4A02-A395-EFD4F489E235 Wed, 30 Jan 2019 20:51:47 -0600 A three-month probe into improper spending at Florida's largest university has resulted in the firing of four school administrators. University trustees authorized the probe last year after state auditors discovered the Orlando-based school had spent $38 million to construct an academic building with state funds that were supposed to be used for operations. The probe ultimately discovered $85 million of projects had been built or were planning to be built with inappropriate money. But the investigation also concluded that no university employees personally profited from the use of the improper money. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/florida/articles/2019-01-19/florida-university-fires-4-officials-after-spending-probe 7CAF7F8E-9436-487C-9269-C7620380383D Sun, 20 Jan 2019 09:58:14 -0600 Court documents reveal how two former San Juan College instructors allegedly fraudulently obtained more than $200,000 using a personal company to obtain training/certificate fees. Steven Gerencser, 49, and Daniel Uhl, 64, each face 32 felony counts of fraud and embezzlement, according to a criminal complaint. Gerencser and Uhl allegedly conducted "numerous" training sessions between Sept. 8, 2017, and April 30, 2018, during which they used the SJC School of Energy's equipment, certificates and curriculum but billed the participating companies through their personal business, Four Corners Well Control, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. https://www.daily-times.com/story/news/crime/2019/01/08/ex-college-instructors-allegedly-embezzled-more-than-200-000/2517363002/ A005671C-F684-492B-A2A8-296C85485844 Tue, 8 Jan 2019 11:03:10 -0600 A scholar whose carefully crafted fiction helped expose the rot within some sectors of the modern academy is now under fire from his home, Portland State University, although prominent academics throughout the West have risen to his defense. Peter Boghossian, an assistant professor of philosophy at Portland State University in Oregon, led a trio of scholars last year who submitted to leading publications what they called "intentionally broken" papers on gender, race and sexuality. Several of the absurd pieces were published. Now, Portland State has initiated disciplinary action against Mr. Boghossian for what it calls a breach of the institution’s ethical guidelines. https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jan/7/peter-boghossian-portland-state-univ-professor-fac/ E4A7249C-1390-4F42-8982-ED38E7035226 Mon, 7 Jan 2019 14:43:29 -0600 University of Illinois trustees voted Friday to immediately fire a tenured associate professor of cell and developmental biology who admitted that he falsified research in grant applications. There was little discussion about the firing of Fei Wang, 52, of Champaign, an associate professor in the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology. The board found that Wang had been "grossly neglectful" in his duties and "can no longer be relied upon to perform (his) university duties and functions in a manner consonant with professional standards of competence and responsibility." http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2018-12-14/updated-ui-trustees-fire-tenured-professor-over-falsified-research.html 2FFE6326-07C1-4D19-8745-D16B99E953A6 Fri, 14 Dec 2018 12:54:42 -0600 A former Iowa community college dean has been arrested after an audit found she spent thousands of dollars in public funds for her wedding, personal travel and other purchases. Police in Creston arrested Beth Kulow, the former dean of students at Southwestern Community College, on Monday on three counts of second-degree theft and falsifying public records. She allegedly embezzled $15,000 between 2015 and 2018 and submitted an altered email to cover her tracks when questioned. https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2018/12/06/southwest-community-college-dean-arrested-theft-falsifying-public-records-creston-police-swcc-kulow/2225915002/ B8D61021-DB86-4431-96AE-EA1693D97806 Thu, 6 Dec 2018 09:54:38 -0600 A former business director at Washington University in St. Louis has pleaded guilty to embezzling about $300,000. Federal prosecutors on Tuesday announced the plea by 38-year-old Barbara Skudrzyk of Rock Hill. She admitted to three counts of mail fraud for embezzling money over a period of more than eight years. https://fox2now.com/2018/12/04/former-washington-university-business-director-pleads-guilty-to-embezzlement/ 4D0EB1E5-D59D-4AC9-8206-B59D13AA0866 Tue, 4 Dec 2018 14:09:05 -0600 A Chinese researcher claiming to have led a team that genetically edited human babies is now under investigation, as well as an American professor who might have helped him. He Jiankui, an associate professor at Shenzhen's Southern University of Science and Technology of China, revealed his gene editing work on Monday to an organizer of an international conference on gene editing in Hong Kong. He told the Associated Press he altered the DNA of twin girls born this month to resist HIV and AIDS virus. He said he's altered embryos for seven couples in fertility treatments, but only had one pregnancy result. An American professor, Michael Deem with Rice University, is also being investigated by the United States because of his alleged involvement in He's research. https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/nation-now/researcher-american-professor-behind-baby-gene-editing-claims-now-under-investigation/465-45d21a33-1d34-4147-b052-ba73ec6b8546 C65ED254-06DB-4521-A449-ED147A2E9AC3 Tue, 27 Nov 2018 10:22:03 -0600 A former University of Missouri employee admitted to stealing at least $2,500 from accounts she managed through the Wellness Center and the Student Recreation Center, according to court documents filed Friday. Lisa Paige told law enforcement she took the money between the dates of June 2017 and September 2018. However, though Paige admitted to taking $2,500, court documents accuse her of stealing $3,600. MU spokesman Christian Basi said the University of Missouri Police found out about the theft through checks and balances the university already has set up. https://www.abc17news.com/news/crime/former-mu-employee-admits-to-stealing-from-university/876442923 7D59602A-8323-4D52-8E02-249FDBC4BC26 Mon, 19 Nov 2018 16:51:37 -0600 The Star found that over Ashim Mitra’s 24 years as a leader in the UMKC School of Pharmacy, the professor compelled his students to act as his personal servants. They hauled equipment and bused tables at his social events. They were expected to tend his lawn, look after his dog and water the house plants, sometimes for weeks at a time when he and his wife were away. At best, critics say, Mitra’s demands violated ethical standards and university policy. At worst, a U.S. immigration official told The Star, coerced off-campus labors would be tantamount to human trafficking. According to allegations in pending litigation, the university not only knew about Mitra’s behavior, but administrators overlooked complaints for years because Mitra was among the most successful faculty members in corralling millions in research dollars for the school. https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article220872325.html C7C33182-7343-45E1-864C-069D9712F323 Sun, 18 Nov 2018 17:00:07 -0600 The former director of auxiliary services at Connecticut College is facing up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty Wednesday to using various embezzlement schemes to steal $173,000 during his time at the college. Michael Kmec, 40, of Marlborough, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court to one count of wire fraud related to an embezzlement scheme, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday. The schemes included "receiving funds from the college through fraudulent billing schemes, diverting checks to the college to a bank account he controlled, diverting money from the Camel Card program to bank accounts he controlled, and misappropriating a college laptop," the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. https://www.theday.com/policefirecourts/20181114/former-conn-college-employee-faces-20-years-for-embezzlement 10CDEFD3-A844-42A8-BE4B-5CC43965181A Wed, 14 Nov 2018 15:57:03 -0600 Penn State police are investigating multiple instances of fraud regarding football tickets, including one in which unsuspecting buyers were scammed on Facebook. In addition, police have received reports of scalpers buying Penn State tickets with counterfeit cash, and a Bronx man was arrested in State College in September for selling fraudulent tickets. Incidents of scams and fake tickets have increased at Penn State this season, with most reports involving the Sept. 29 game against Ohio State, which set a Beaver Stadium attendance record (110,889). After that game, police said they confiscated more than 300 counterfeit tickets. https://www.mcall.com/sports/college/psu/mc-spt-penn-state-football-ticket-scams-20181113-story.html FAA953D2-AA87-45B4-8509-89C772534C59 Tue, 13 Nov 2018 13:31:58 -0600 A man from Gainesville, Florida is accused of taking a $10,000 University of Florida Athletics cart for a joy ride Sunday. University of Florida police charged 26-year-old Parker Prince with grand theft in excess of $10,000. A report says the 6-wheel, all-terrain cart used to transport injured players from the field was parked outside the south end zone of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with the keys inside. https://local12.com/news/offbeat/man-accused-of-stealing-university-of-florida-gators-football-cart ECE5FEF8-D96F-4067-AE12-3C9DDB6E09E1 Tue, 13 Nov 2018 13:15:01 -0600 A former University of Minnesota ticketing director has been charged in federal court with enriching himself through a long-running scheme involving football and men’s hockey and basketball ticket orders. Brent A. Holck, 37, of Maple Grove, was charged Tuesday in federal court in Minneapolis with wire fraud in connection with the siphoning of money from April 2012 to January 2017. The criminal complaint said Holck would locate completed sales in the university’s ticketing system -- often after an event has occurred -- delete orders and have refunds issued to accounts under his control. He also exploited his position with the athletic department by issuing tickets and parking passes to personal or business acquaintances, who then sold those tickets and gave the majority of the proceeds to Holck. http://www.startribune.com/fired-gophers-ticket-director-charged-in-alleged-long-running-ticket-order-scheme/499979971/ 6AAC0F46-C2C2-49F5-9BFC-F1872C82155D Thu, 8 Nov 2018 11:17:31 -0600 A registered nurse was charged Thursday with stealing fentanyl and other drugs from University of Missouri Hospital in Columbia. Leslie R. Neal, 40, of Otterville, was charged in Boone County with one count of stealing a controlled substance, a class D felony and a warrant was issued for her arrest. Neal is accused of taking 96 syringes and 16 vials containing fentanyl, four oxycodone tablets and a vial of midazolam, a benzodiazepine, according to a probable statement from MU police officer Kenrick Tucker. http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/20181102/nurse-charged-with-stealing-fentanyl-from-university-of-missouri-hospital C894BE1A-0E9C-44AD-B278-2218D02DA8C0 Fri, 2 Nov 2018 15:27:50 -0500 The employees' union president at Reedley College is accused of an embezzlement scheme involving the school's equipment up for sale on eBay at deep discounts. The eBay sales history for gamingkid2012 suddenly crystallized from Super Mario World, Final Fantasy, and Nintendo accessories to a dense mass of chemistry equipment like a digital stirring ceramic hotplate and a precision digital scale. Investigators traced the eBay account to Jason Meyers, a chemistry tech at Reedley College and the president of their chapter of the California School Employees Association. SCCCD police tell us the trail led them to 29 vaporized pieces of equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars. They say Meyers collected more than $3600 by selling it all. https://abc30.com/reedley-college-employee-charged-with-embezzlement-on-ebay-sales/4592061/ B0906E6F-D50F-4C42-8110-4DD3BA49CF59 Thu, 1 Nov 2018 11:36:38 -0500 A University of Georgia professor is retiring under a cloud of suspicion that he personally profited from the sale of caviar harvested from UGA-raised sturgeon. UGA sells the caviar from Siberian sturgeon it raises at its 65-acre Cohutta Fisheries Center in northwest Georgia. The professor in charge of the program, Douglas Peterson, was allegedly profiting from the caviar sales by adding a "consulting fee" to each sale, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. In addition, the fisheries research professor and his wife, Joy, who is also a professor at UGA, allegedly used a UGA boat for their personal use at their Florida vacation home, according to the GBI. http://www.onlineathens.com/news/20181027/uga-professor-under-investigation-for-improper-billing-of-caviar-sales 1F5800A1-58BA-484D-9EC4-BE85A63F3A01 Sat, 27 Oct 2018 12:33:49 -0500 All three defendants in the first college basketball corruption trial were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Wednesday. A jury found James Gatto guilty on all three of his counts and Christian Dawkins and Merl Code were found guilty on both of theirs. The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York successfully argued the trio of men defrauded the University of Louisville and the University of Kansas in the process of helping funnel money -- and recruits -- to those schools, with the intention of later signing prospects to endorsement deals. All three were found guilty on wire fraud and specific conspiracy to commit wire fraud against the University of Louisville. Gatto's third guilty count was a conspiracy to commit wire fraud against the University of Kansas. https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-corruption-trial-aspiring-agent-2-former-adidas-representatives-found-guilty-of-defrauding-schools/ 6AA1AD4E-9CDE-4F74-AF72-F71301D3D8DE Wed, 24 Oct 2018 12:11:37 -0500 The Facilities Director at Kennesaw State University is accused of taking technology equipment owned by the university and reselling it online. Derrick Smith, is accused of intercepting a shipment meant for the university’s networking department and posting them for sale on an eBay store operated by his Fiancée, Lateala Crowell. According to a Cobb County warrant, he is also accused of taking 11 Microsoft Surface Pro 4 computers that were mistakenly shipped to KSU. The total loss of the equipment was $78,000. https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/kennesaw/kennesaw-state-university-employee-accused-of-stealing-re-selling-technology-equipment/85-607252754 581FAEA4-AA42-4F40-BE6D-4CADE026B7BC Tue, 23 Oct 2018 11:01:44 -0500 The employee of a company contracted to work at Rice University has been charged after being accused of stealing a PlayStation and failing to register as a sex offender, according to court records. Reginald Dwayne Davis, 29, has been charged with failure to comply with sexual registration require. On Sept. 30, a Rice University police officer responded to a report of a PlayStation being stolen from the Tudor Fieldhouse men's basketball locker room on campus, according to court documents. https://www.click2houston.com/news/worker-accused-of-stealing-from-rice-university-locker-room-not-registering-as-sex-offender 5825883D-CB0F-494A-AE10-C529CB151809 Tue, 16 Oct 2018 13:53:25 -0500 The email started with an innocent "Hiya," but the words that followed set off a chain of events that would tarnish a university’s reputation and send investigators on a months-long chase across the ocean and back. It’s been just over a year since MacEwan University was blindsided by an $11.8-million fraud. While the ruse itself was simple, the case that followed was anything but. Police had to navigate a complex money-laundering scheme that funnelled some of the stolen public funds through various accounts in two continents before reinvesting it in a real-estate deal in Richmond, B.C. https://www.thestar.com/edmonton/2018/10/09/how-a-fraudster-got-12-million-out-of-a-canadian-university-they-just-asked-for-it.html 66B7F128-718B-485A-AC83-AFFCC68124B8 Tue, 9 Oct 2018 14:27:43 -0500 A former University of Georgia employee was recently accused in Clarke County Superior Court of stealing more than $8,000 from the university’s business office. Jasmine Leroyna Burch, 34, was arrested in January following an investigation by the UGA Police Department, according to a UGA police report. According to the accusation, Burch regularly stole funds between January and December 2017 in amounts ranging from $100 to $550. The total amount of stolen funds was $8,128, according to the accusation. http://www.onlineathens.com/news/20181003/former-uga-employee-accused-of-stealing-8k-from-university 956B4C40-DE21-4A86-9998-3538109E294C Wed, 3 Oct 2018 11:55:44 -0500 The University of Ottawa says it will no longer recognize its student federation as the official voice for students following allegations its members misappropriated funds. The university made the decision after "additional allegations of improper governance, mismanagement, internal conflict and workplace misconduct" involving the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) came to light, said David Graham, vice-president academic and provost, in a statement. Last month, the university's French-language student paper, La Rotonde, reported that Ottawa police were investigating members of the SFUO for misappropriating student funds for personal use. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/sfuo-university-ottawa-student-government-no-longer-recognzind-1.4837892 E46BDEAB-0639-4529-8FA6-6CE5B5EF2DE3 Mon, 1 Oct 2018 10:18:20 -0500 A former engineering professor at Western Kentucky University has pleaded guilty to defrauding the university, accoding to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Matt Dettman, 52, pleaded guilty before United States District Court Judge Greg N. Stivers. According to a plea agreement, between 2006 and October 2017, Dettman diverted concrete and soil test payments from WKU’s Engineering Department for personal use. http://www.kfvs12.com/2018/09/27/former-wku-professor-pleads-guilty-stealing-k-university/ 89FA2544-E960-4C51-A747-ADB2FEB53448 Thu, 27 Sep 2018 16:23:40 -0500 Two women are being accused of running an embezzlement scheme and stealing nearly $1 million from a community college in Mississippi. Some investigators say it took a tip to stop two women from stealing from Coahoma Community College. On Monday, state auditor Shad White handed over findings from a year’s worth of investigating embezzlement allegations. White says Gwendolyn Jefferson and Stacie Neal must return more than $980,000. https://wreg.com/2018/09/24/state-auditor-issues-980000-demand-for-embezzlement-to-2-former-coahoma-community-college-employees/ 27D4E1E1-E4DC-483D-97EB-2FD5314A0E26 Mon, 24 Sep 2018 22:03:11 -0500 Prof. Brian Wansink has tendered his resignation following the conclusion of an investigation of misconduct that was conducted over more than a year, according to a statement from Provost Michael Kotlikoff. Wansink will not be permitted to teach or research at the University, and will retire at the end of the academic year. A faculty committee concluded the investigation, and found that "Professor Wansink committed academic misconduct in his research and scholarship, including misreporting of research data, problematic statistical techniques, failure to properly document and preserve research results, and inappropriate authorship." https://cornellsun.com/2018/09/20/cornell-prof-brian-wansink-resigns-after-academic-misconduct-investigationcornell-prof-brian-wansink-resigns-after-academic-misconduct-investigation/ AE1CEFFA-DD3A-4B39-8E72-197B5390D1E8 Thu, 20 Sep 2018 10:40:04 -0500 A UNT financial aid administrator was fired last month for suspected fraud, according to a report from North Texas Television. The staffer, Tiffany O’Neal, was terminated on Aug. 22 after UNT police found fraudulent activities, UNT spokesperson Leigh Anne Gullett said. O’Neal worked at the university since at least 2012. "As of right now, it’s just an active investigation," Gullett said. "The university took immediate action on what it learned, when it learned it and at this point it’s just in the hands of the police department." https://www.ntdaily.com/unt-financial-aid-staffer-fired-after-suspected-fraud-university-spokesperson-says/ 0726BBFE-47D7-4A5A-998E-CB1A024EF0A8 Mon, 17 Sep 2018 09:29:33 -0500 The husband of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Chancellor Beverly Kopper has been banned from campus and stripped of an honorary, unpaid position after an investigation concluded he sexually harassed female employees, according to records obtained Friday by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The investigation was bumped up to the UW System level because of the unusual circumstances involving the chancellor's husband, Pete Hill, who had an honorary appointment as Associate of the Chancellor by virtue of his wife's position. In that capacity, he was frequently asked to participate in fundraising and alumni and athletic functions in a largely ceremonial capacity. Some of the allegations involve behavior that allegedly occurred at the official chancellor's residence. https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2018/09/14/uw-whitewater-chancellors-husband-banned-campus-over-harassment/1302826002/ AE2856C7-5767-4EDC-9372-57C0183F0D2F Sat, 15 Sep 2018 12:00:44 -0500 Wealthy alumni who have sway over the University of Michigan's $11-billion endowment have given thousands in campaign donations to members of the university's governing board. A review of state records shows that two members of the university's elected Board of Regents accepted in total nearly $30,000 in campaign contributions from donors associated with funds receiving U-M investments. In addition, a family who helps guide the university's investment strategy contributed more than $29,000 to the board's longest-serving member. To critics, some of the donations could pose a conflict of interest. "Something doesn’t have to be obviously illegal for it to be the kind of thing a flagship state university should be 100 miles away from," Georgetown University law professor Brian Galle said in an interview. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/09/13/university-michigan-regents-investments-campaigns/948952002/ 3D6A312B-E84D-4CD7-A4F0-C437B8138BE1 Thu, 13 Sep 2018 11:06:25 -0500 The former business director of Washington University’s Division of Medical Education embezzled about $300,000 and used the money for international travel, jewelry and other personal purchases, a federal indictment claims. Barbara "Basia" Skudrzyk, 37, of Rock Hill, was indicted in U.S. District Court Thursday on six counts of mail fraud. Her indictment was unsealed after her arrest Monday. Prosecutors say Skudrzyk, also known as Barbara "Basia" Najarro, stole the money in a variety of ways from 2010 to July 31, 2018. They say she used Washington University funds to pay $12,000 for the painting of her home, $6,000 for flooring, $15,000 for construction work, $15,000 to her divorce lawyers, $4,000 to her movers and $4,000 to her cleaning company. She used more money for a friend’s airline ticket to Poland, and for her friend’s divorce attorney. https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/former-washington-university-official-embezzled-for-trips-jewelry-and-divorce/article_27dc5580-928b-5f96-829b-b08516000a16.html 44F27DA0-F995-47C4-96FB-3C779512FC35 Tue, 11 Sep 2018 12:26:12 -0500 A former Penn State employee bought an Apple MacBook Pro with her university-issued purchasing card, but then sold it and kept the money, according to police. Joy Teeter -- who was previously employed as a financial assistant for the Department of Chemical Engineering -- bought a MacBook Pro for a graduate student in November 2017. The 43-year-old from Bellefonte eventually tried to change the shipping address, but inadvertently bought a second MacBook Pro. With the device unaccounted for during an internal audit, police tracked the laptop’s serial number and found that it was activated by a doctor in Dubois. https://www.centredaily.com/news/local/crime/article217996055.html 21FE4CA6-B705-4971-B904-5B8768F935E7 Fri, 7 Sep 2018 09:41:03 -0500 Michigan State University has handed over an investigation of potential fraud related to the fund set up to pay for counseling services for survivors of abuse by former university doctor Larry Nassar to its police department. MSU stopped payments from the fund in July after its fund administrator, Commonwealth Mediation and Conciliation, Inc, raised concerns of possible fraudulent claims and sought direction from the university. On Tuesday, John Manly, who represents many of Nassar’s victims, tweeted that MSU’s fund was calling survivors' health care providers and "demanding confidential treatment info without waivers or seeking patient permission." https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2018/09/06/police-investigating-potential-fraud-involving-fund-nassar-victims/1216894002/ B0505925-F39E-4430-A068-7CCE23F4C7A1 Thu, 6 Sep 2018 09:43:30 -0500 A longtime Texas Christian University employee has pleaded guilty to stealing $1,600 from an education program that helps high school students from low-income families. Federal court documents filed Tuesday show Margaret Faust admitted to stealing the money from the Upward Bound program and pleaded guilty to theft from a federal student assistance program. The records say Faust, who was the assistant director of Upward Bound for some 18 years, oversaw money to program participants and would receive cash each month from the university’s financial services department. https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2018/08/22/tcu-employee-guilty-federal-theft/ 6DDC5FDD-DD88-49C2-B48F-DB52696B6B1B Wed, 22 Aug 2018 09:08:11 -0500 Eight members of the Rutgers University football team are facing charges related to a credit card fraud scheme. Prosecutors in Middlesex County, New Jersey say the players stole credit card information and then transferred money to their university cash cards for personal use. Some of the defendants are also charged with promoting organized crime, money laundering, and fraudulent use of credit cards. https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/08/22/rutgers-football-players-credit-card-scheme/ 5A87CD19-FADE-4BF6-BDC3-82720B7AC4F0 Wed, 22 Aug 2018 09:04:59 -0500 A former George Mason University professor who faced allegations of sexual harassment was charged this week with embezzling university funds, the latest chapter in his fall at the public institution in Northern Virginia. Peter Pober turned himself in Tuesday morning and was released on $2,500 unsecured bond, Carl Rowan Jr., chief of the George Mason University police department, said in an email. Pober faces four felony counts of embezzlement, Rowan wrote. Many details of the embezzlement allegations against Pober remain unclear, including the amount of money believed to be involved. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2018/08/21/former-george-mason-professor-accused-of-sexual-harassment-is-now-facing-embezzlement-charges/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.4dcdce4cade7 6E22F540-C7C6-4B23-A2D3-95AEB87C2A58 Tue, 21 Aug 2018 12:59:39 -0500 A 58-year-old Allegheny County man who was found with multiple items from the Saint Vincent College campus in Unity inside his pickup truck Sunday has been charged with theft. Campus security discovered Matthew C. Morgan of Buena Vista in Elizabeth Township in the vicinity of the college football practice field with multiple Gatorade coolers and bottles, plastic rakes, planters, a fire extinguisher and a student parking sign in his truck, according to a complaint filed by state police in Greensburg. Police valued the items at $2,270. https://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/13992699-74/allegheny-county-man-accused-of-theft-from-st-vincent-college-campus-cops 46BFC580-7A5F-4D87-AE8E-CF318EB50479 Mon, 20 Aug 2018 14:18:34 -0500 A 25-year-old man is accused of stealing items from the campus of Minnesota State University Moorhead when he was reportedly a student there. Jeremy Lafromboise is charged with receiving stolen property and second-degree burglary of a government or school building, both felonies. According to Clay County District Court documents, police received multiple reports from faculty that offices and other moderately restricted areas had been accessed and property was missing or moved. Missing items included cameras, microphones and miscellaneous key cards used to access areas on campus. http://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/crime-and-courts/4485826-charge-minnesota-university-campus-robber-raided-faculty-offices 657F31E0-C4E5-4BFC-883C-45B03D859B20 Tue, 14 Aug 2018 13:57:43 -0500 Less than a week after a former Clemson University athletics department employee was arrested on a misdemeanor theft charge, he now faces a felony charge in connection with missing university property, court records show. John Samuel Blackman, of Central, was arrested Tuesday by Clemson University police on a charge of grand larceny more than $2,000 but less than $10,000, according to Pickens County online court records. On July 12, university employee Richard Bagby, who is Clemson’s Assistant AD for video and technology, noticed that video recording equipment worth approximately $3,855 was missing from a storage room at the Jervey Athletic Center, according to records obtained from the Clemson University Police Department. https://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article216664895.html DB042918-3216-4CB7-991A-799EBBEAC00D Tue, 14 Aug 2018 09:57:56 -0500 A former Lowell police sergeant who led the Lowell Police Academy and is now director of the Northern Essex Community College police academy, has paid a $5,000 fine for recommending the college purchase training gear from his private Lowell-based employer, All Sports Heroes in Lowell. Thomas Fleming, who resigned from the Lowell Police Department in 2014 amid a test-taking scandal, last week agreed to pay the $5,000 civil penalty for violating two sections of the conflict-of-interest law, the State Ethics Commission announced Monday. http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_32054725/state-fines-former-lowell-cop-5-000-conflict#ixzz5Nb5HyTcb C093C33E-244E-4C88-BA22-3E9A2EE8354D Tue, 7 Aug 2018 08:41:24 -0500 A Rowan University student who broke into a school office four times so he could steal passwords and change his grades has been spared a prison term. Kaustubh Shroff instead was sentenced to two years of probation. Authorities have said the biological sciences major broke into the Rowan University registrar’s office and installed software on computers there in order to steal staff login credentials. He later returned to retrieve the data, then used it to access his professors’ files and change his grades in some classes. https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/crime/2018/08/07/rowan-university-student-who-hacked-grades-gets-probation/922854002/ 7F622193-4045-40D3-B232-2F045AC2713A Tue, 7 Aug 2018 20:22:27 -0500 A Los Angeles man pleaded guilty last week to charges that he created a fake company and posed as a construction company employee in a scheme to steal nearly $2 million from Appalachian State University. Ho Shin Lee, who was 31 when he was arrested, pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering on Thursday in U.S. District Court in the Western District of North Carolina. Appalachian State University had hired Charlotte construction company Rodgers Builders for its new health sciences building. The construction company filed a form on Oct. 14, 2016, with the school to set up wire transfers and direct deposits. On Dec. 2, 2016, an employee at the university received an email from someone claiming to be Doug McDowell, the controller for Rodgers Builders. The email was fake, federal prosecutors said. The email contained a direct deposit form with instructions to change the banking information Rodgers Builders had previously submitted. https://www.journalnow.com/news/crime/los-angeles-man-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-million-from-appalachian/article_b5171cb8-91b5-5af8-a63a-9150721123fc.html 0C4AE9E2-5D3B-44C8-8D68-018322B95488 Tue, 7 Aug 2018 10:36:42 -0500 When state Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas resigned suddenly in December, it marked an abrupt halt to a promising political career. The son of powerful Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas had enjoyed the backing of his father’s donors and the Democratic Party establishment. Within months, the younger Ridley-Thomas reemerged at the University of Southern California. The university, which sits in his father’s district, hired him as a professor of social work and public policy. USC also gave Ridley-Thomas, who lacked a graduate degree, a scholarship to pursue a master’s program in social work, according to sources familiar with the matter. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-usc-investigation-20180801-story.html# D91B8E34-BA4F-4263-BDE0-23084FB320F2 Wed, 1 Aug 2018 11:37:35 -0500 For years, high-ranking Georgia Tech officials earning six-figure salaries used their positions to line their pockets, internal investigations have found. With little or no accountability, three misused taxpayer funds and exploited relationships with vendors. There were parties in a football suite, courtesy of a bookstore vendor. Golf outings during work hours. Routine meals and after-hours drinking billed to taxpayers. A fourth official went on jaunts to China to shill products for a vendor whose board of directors he sat on, and he charged the school for his travel expenses. He also steered a Tech contract to the company and pressured employees to use its services. Those are findings from a Tech internal audit and a review by The University System of Georgia, both prompted by complaints from employees. All four men are now out of their jobs. They may face more serious repercussions. https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional/lax-oversight-allowed-high-paid-tech-officials-misuse-tax-money/KPhr38F6PupvqESYALWWIP/?icmp=np_inform_variation-control 36BB27BA-CD6E-4F7B-942E-B2CF345567B2 Fri, 27 Jul 2018 09:51:52 -0500 The University of Oklahoma’s former chief diversity officer illegally used a university vehicle hundreds of times to commute to and from work and make personal family trips, according to an internal OU audit released on Thursday. The audit was requested after allegations surfaced about improper use of an OU vehicle by Vice President of University Community Jabar Shumate. The former state senator was hired three years ago amid campus unrest after videos surfaced showing fraternity members singing racist chants. http://journalrecord.com/2018/07/26/ou-audit-shows-improper-use-of-state-vehicle-led-to-firing/ 3107B505-B3DF-43F3-8424-3DAB93DC0578 Thu, 26 Jul 2018 10:46:06 -0500 At least five more programs in Temple University's business school provided false data to improve their ranking in a national report, the school's president said Wednesday. Earlier this month, Moshe Porat, the dean of the Fox School of Business, was forced out after the university reported the business school knowingly submitted inaccurate data to U.S. News & World Report in order to improve the rankings of its Online MBA in the magazine's "Best Grad Schools" list. Porat was replaced and the university hired a law firm to investigate the business school’s data and processes. https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Temple-University-False-Rankings-Allegations-Programs-Philadelphia-Fox-School-of-Business-489172911.html A182C05D-599C-4B68-ADCC-FAC2CAD7A05D Wed, 25 Jul 2018 10:43:12 -0500 Two members of the Bowling Green State University football team were dismissed from the program as a result of an investigation into the illegal use of credit/debit cards that belonged to the school. Redshirt sophomore linebackers Armani Posey and Dirion Hutchins no longer are on the team, according to BG officials. The charges are the result of a police investigation that began after the university discovered irregular charges on debit card accounts designated for athletic book scholarships. Investigators think the cards were used by those who had the card numbers and security codes. http://www.toledoblade.com/College/2018/07/20/Bowling-Green-State-University-dismisses-2-football-players-for-credit-card-theft-allegations.html 8124C751-F814-4B74-BB13-6D0F56873A7E Fri, 20 Jul 2018 11:10:13 -0500 Qingyou Han and his wife, Lu Shao, used National Science Foundation grant money to buy a West Lafayette house and pay off the mortgage, according to a charge filed Wednesday in federal court. Han, a mechanical engineering technology professor at Purdue University and director for the Purdue Center for Materials Processing Research, and Shao managed to skirt National Science Foundation oversight rules through false reports and shell research companies that Han created, according to the indictment. They listed their minor children as a technical assistant and secretary. https://www.jconline.com/story/news/crime/2018/07/19/purdue-prof-and-his-wife-indicted-fraud-federal-court/803466002/ 86F5A8E7-7E03-4001-B812-352F1DA862CC Thu, 19 Jul 2018 08:37:01 -0500 A federal grand jury in Milwaukee has indicted two Texas residents in connection with textbook thefts at colleges around the country, including books from Minnesota State University-Moorhead. Federal prosecutors said the grand jury indicted Ryan Lewis and Genisis Abellar, both of Houston, on Tuesday on charges of conspiracy to transport stolen goods and interstate transportation of stolen property. Prosecutors said the two stole textbooks from instructors' offices at several University of Wisconsin System schools and shipped the textbooks to a Texas business, which sold them to college students. http://kfgo.com/news/articles/2018/jul/10/men-charged-in-theft-of-college-textbooks-including-books-from-msu-moorhead/ 482C24BD-A4B1-4055-9913-1F27D2B7AC75 Thu, 12 Jul 2018 10:18:20 -0500 A man has been charged after allegedly stealing a a trailer full of livestock from an Oklahoma university. Cody Joseph Porter, 32, has been charged with larceny of implements of husbandry, larceny of livestock, burglary in the second degree, cruelty to animals, knowingly concealing stolen property and pattern of criminal activity, according to District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas. Porter, and Michael Demaro, are accused of stealing a truck and trailer containing 38 Angora goats and two sheep on July 3 from Langston University's Goat Research Center. http://okcfox.com/news/local/man-charged-after-stealing-goats-from-university-in-oklahoma 6A516261-DF78-43E1-BC2C-D2E43A7064FC Wed, 11 Jul 2018 14:07:42 -0500 A University of Colorado mechanical engineering professor pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to mail fraud related to a contract he obtained with Los Alamos National Laboratories in 2008 and used for personal expenses, including international travel. Oleg Viktorovich Vasilyev, 50, is expected to be sentenced in U.S. District Court in October, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He could be sentenced to as many as 20 years in prison. http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_31999989/cu-professor-felony-misappropriating-money A18558F9-A494-4341-A2F2-52087DD85A0F Tue, 10 Jul 2018 11:34:18 -0500 Two congressional watchdogs early Monday called on the Office of Congressional Ethics to conduct a preliminary inquiry into reports that U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan ignored complaints of sexual harassment by a former doctor for Ohio State’s wrestling team. In the complaint, Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer and former White House chief ethics lawyer Norman Eisen say Jordan violated a clause in House rules requiring members of the House to conduct themselves "at all times in a manner which shall reflect creditably on the House of Representatives." http://www.dispatch.com/news/20180709/ethics-watchdogs-request-investigation-of-jim-jordan-actions-at-ohio-state B2B86304-B194-4ECE-B047-1BEF8E65D860 Mon, 9 Jul 2018 09:34:54 -0500 A former professor at Colorado State University is facing a felony charge for fabricating an outside job offer to improve his status at CSU. Professor Brian McNaughton, 40, ran the McNaughton Lab, a biochemistry research group at CSU. He is now charged with attempt to influence a public official, for presenting his employers with a fictitious offer letter from the University of Minnesota in order to get more money from CSU. The falsification was determined through a series of emails between leaders of the two schools. https://denver.cbslocal.com/2018/07/06/brian-mcnaughton-former-colorado-state-university-professor-charged-falsifying-job-offer/ 0DAD88C0-72DF-4928-9D8D-B59618822668 Fri, 6 Jul 2018 08:40:16 -0500 Silicon Valley artificial intelligence company MedWhat has filed a lawsuit against their investors Stanford University, Stanford-StartX Fund, and Marc Tessier-Lavigne president of Stanford University, Susan Weinstein VP of Stanford, Suzanne Fletcher StartX fund manager, in the Superior Court of California County of San Francisco. MedWhat alleges that Stanford University and their venture capital fund is full of conflict of interests with Stanford University members and other Silicon Valley venture capitalists, with unethical behavior, lying, and fraud. According to MedWhat, there’s a fundamental lack of transparency, honesty, and fair play at Stanford University and their startup accelerator StartX’s Stanford-StartX Fund. https://www.analyticsinsight.net/stanford-university-stanford-startx-fund-et-al-sued-by-medwhat-for-fraud/ 65B7ACD6-994B-4A46-ABDB-5524DD69DABA Mon, 25 Jun 2018 00:00:00 -0500 A biology lecturer at Medgar Evers College, a part of the City University of New York, pleaded guilty on Thursday to one count of federal wire fraud for teaching unauthorized health care classes and selling students bogus course-completion certificates. Mamdouh Abdel-Sayed, a full-time tenured lecturer, admitted in Federal District Court in Manhattan that he had "abused his position on the CUNY faculty to enrich himself," said Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, whose office prosecuted the case, alongside the New York State inspector general and the federal Education Department’s Office of the Inspector General. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/31/nyregion/medgar-evers-college-certificates.html 2A428315-EA17-42C1-B542-0D1DAF59C02A Fri, 1 Jun 2018 10:24:36 -0500 A man is accused of stealing several items from a community college. Christopher McAfee, 33, took numerous items from Jefferson Community and Technical College Southwest Campus, located at 1000 Community College Drive, including TVs, paintings, drones, a mini fridge and a computer monitor, according to his arrest report. http://www.wave3.com/story/38278453/man-accused-of-stealing-tvs-drones-from-community-college 4A227088-2826-405C-84AA-FF3526CF8E9D Fri, 25 May 2018 10:53:29 -0500 The former University of Notre Dame employee accused of taking close to $200,000 from the school’s Clinical Law Center was sentenced Friday. In February, 44-year-old Jennifer Ihns pleaded guilty to one count of corrupt business influence, one count of forgery and nine counts of theft. She was also ordered to pay $199,000 in restitution to Notre Dame. An audit showed between January 2009 and June 2016, Ihns, who was the clinic administrator, cashed 129 checks from the clinic’s operating accounting totaling more than $82,000. She also cashed 126 checks from the trust account for more than $96,000. https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/publicsafety/former-notre-dame-administrator-sentenced-for-stealing-university-money/article_8d86b9ed-4997-5d93-9104-368aedce1655.html 1FA2AB76-DD15-495A-AE2F-2484C4794005 Fri, 25 May 2018 10:51:39 -0500 A Vassar College employee was arrested after being caught making illegal purchases of more than $6,000 on a college credit card, said Town of Poughkeepsie Police. Merlisha Celestin, 34, of Beacon, was arrested Tuesday following an investigation into the use of the card over a six month period, while employed at the college, said Capt. Kevin Faber. http://southwestdutchess.dailyvoice.com/police-fire/vassar-employee-charged-more-than-6k-on-college-credit-card/737724/ 0BE41D9C-1592-482D-96FF-B6D25048F8D5 Fri, 25 May 2018 10:50:28 -0500 During a lecture last fall, Sergio A. Garcia, a top official at New York's Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, recounted for the audience his harrowing experience during a deadly April 2011 bombing in Afghanistan. His account of the bombing was among numerous astounding claims that he made last October during a 57-minute videotaped speech -- titled "Courage Under Fire" -- that have been refuted, could not be verified, or are so far-fetched that longtime State Department and other current and former U.S. government officials described them as not credible. https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/SUNY-official-wrongly-claimed-to-have-been-at-12927729.php 7D9D76D1-9EE2-4955-9083-78D664141B58 Sun, 20 May 2018 10:20:56 -0500 Florida Atlantic University reported false numbers to the government, exaggerating how many women played for its sports teams, just a year after it ranked among the worst in the country for female representation in sports. In 2016, women represented more than half of the Boca Raton school’s enrollment but only 31 percent of its athletes. The percentage was the lowest of all 127 schools participating in the highest level of college sports. Just one year later, FAU claimed it had erased its female participation gap. It told the U.S. Department of Education in 2017 that 51 percent of its athletes were women. https://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/gender-equality-fau-gave-feds-false-numbers-ranked-near-bottom/r1HcYrXaoDkiq5DbW8woOI/ ECEE7B45-B576-446F-A249-0676C5B24F5E Fri, 18 May 2018 10:18:16 -0500 A federal grand jury has indicted the surgeon who leads University Health's trauma center in Shreveport in the theft of more than $200,000 in disability benefits. John T. Owings, 58, of Shreveport was charged Wednesday with one count of theft of government property and one count of concealing that he was ineligible for Social Security disability benefits. https://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/news/crime/2018/05/16/shreveport-doctor-indicted-stealing-disability-benefits/617639002/ DFCFBDAF-4528-4332-8722-15AEBC2C1216 Wed, 16 May 2018 09:59:36 -0500 The former student billing clerk at a tribal community college pleaded guilty on Tuesday to embezzling more than $13,000 from the institution over a six-month period. Jennifer Lynn Brown, 34, would write checks to herself under the guise of scholarship awards from Blackfeet Community College. The seven checks written to herself, along with two $570-tuition waivers she issued to family members without authorization, totaled $13,393, according to court documents. https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/crime/2018/05/15/former-billing-clerk-pleads-guilty-embezzling-tribal-college/612570002/ 475F37EF-60B5-4A28-BFCD-DC73F6EDC0F6 Tue, 15 May 2018 16:53:32 -0500 Tutors employed by Texas Christian University are being accused of providing forbidden material to students who are now suspended in a cheating scandal. The allegation comes from the attorney hired by the students to get them back in class. The university said a dozen students were suspended during finals exams. It didn't say how long the alleged cheating went on or for what classes. A popular app called Quizlet is at the center of the cheating investigation. Senior Taylor Wirtz, who is not involved in the investigation at all, said almost everyone used the app. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-christian-university-tutors-accused-in-alleged-cheating-case-that-led-to-suspensions/ 82BEFAE8-94AA-4476-8DB8-FB6961B8E693 Thu, 10 May 2018 21:55:54 -0500 A former Bemidji State University employee was charged with a felony Tuesday after he allegedly used his university-issued credit card to make personal purchases. Former Physical Plant Manager Jeffrey Arne Sande, 66, was charged with financial transaction card fraud, nine months after authorities confiscated multiple big-ticket items -- including lawn mowers, a trimmer and other equipment -- from his Bemidji home.According to a criminal complaint, university officials learned that Sande had been using the card for non-university-related purchases after the university received a customer survey about a lawn mower purchased in June 2013 with his BSU Payment Card. https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/crime-and-courts/4443009-former-bsu-employee-charged-fraud D8AB7B49-D653-43E5-8F88-9D566F9C7F83 Tue, 8 May 2018 17:46:50 -0500 A former University of Wisconsin-Madison employee has been charged with stealing more than $100,000 from the university over three years through fraudulent checks, personal purchases and other means, according to a complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court. Kevin O'Donnell, 54, faces 12 felony charges and two misdemeanors for allegedly stealing $113,890 while he was a purchasing manager for the Division of University Housing. For more than a year, O'Donnell wrote checks meant to look like housing refunds for students that he would mail to his office. He would then forge the students' signatures, sign the checks with "pay to the order of Kevin O'Donnell" and cash them, according to the complaint. https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2018/05/05/former-uw-madison-employee-accused-nearly-114-000-thefts-university/583595002/ 3F8FDEDC-BA19-4ABC-9804-1711F1BD80B3 Sat, 5 May 2018 15:44:56 -0500 A former director at the University of Texas at Austin's law school was arrested Thursday for claiming he was showing up for work while he was actually galavanting in tourist hot spots like Cozumel, Las Vegas and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to court documents and local law enforcement authorities. Jason Shoumaker, the law school's facilities director until November 2017, is the subject of an ongoing probe by the Travis County District Attorney's Office and the Texas Rangers. Though Shoumaker was taken into custody Thursday over tampering charges, he is at the heart of a major fraud investigation -- one that potentially involves "several million dollars of questionable expenses," a source familiar with the probe said. https://www.texastribune.org/2018/05/04/former-ut-austin-director-arrested-part-ongoing-fraud-investigation/ F1B865A7-9481-4AA2-9125-7364A344FA05 Fri, 4 May 2018 11:59:52 -0500 A Lisle woman has pleaded guilty to forgery and perjury for duplicating signatures when she made a bid for the College of DuPage board. Rafath Waheed, 62, may be able to get the charges dropped if she successfully completes DuPage County's diversion program, according to Chicago Tribune. Waheed was arrested in March 2017 after college administrators said she turned in two pages photo copies that she tried to pass off as authentic signatures to get her onto the board. She was subsequently charged with two counts of forgery, four counts of perjury via and two counts of issuing a forged document. https://patch.com/illinois/glenellyn/woman-pleads-guilty-college-dupage-signature-scam-cops FB617567-9A39-43D4-9FB8-6B9D0722AEEE Tue, 1 May 2018 21:54:36 -0500 A Lexington man accused of selling more than $500,000 in computer equipment stolen from the University of Kentucky has pleaded guilty in federal court. Toquoto Richardson, who worked as a data center operations engineer at UK, received more than $124,000 from 45 sales over a six-year period beginning in 2010, according to a plea agreement filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Lexington. But an internal audit revealed Richardson had sold more than $500,000 in computer equipment for personal gain over 10 years, UK said Thursday. The audit determined that the equipment came from the Information Technology department, the university said. http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article209885734.html 0111515F-1FC3-4FAB-9888-B31D0938448B Thu, 26 Apr 2018 11:09:12 -0500 A Louisiana Tech University employee faces a felony theft charge after campus police were notified about missing money. Tracey Hoyle, 45, an administrative coordinator, was charged with theft of more than $5,000. According to a news release, Tech Police were notified on April 19 that money was missing from a School of Communication account. For several years, Hoyle performed bookkeeping duties for the department, which included handling funds and receipts. The investigation found that approximately $15,000 was taken over the course of a year and a half. https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/crime/2018/04/25/louisiana-tech-employee-accused-stealing-job/550694002/ 1C7FD078-D7C6-445A-AA66-D6A35B97B8F1 Wed, 25 Apr 2018 20:10:32 -0500 As WKTV reported officially last week, fraudulent salespeople have been using the name of Hamilton College to approach local businesses and scam them out of money.The College’s Campus Safety department has been handling this particular scam for over a year. The use of trusted school names as a scamming strategy has affected many colleges across the country, and this particular incident marked one of many fraudulent cases involving Hamilton College’s name. https://spec.hamilton.edu/fraudulent-advertisement-uses-colleges-name-to-mislead-local-businesses-eeaf434d1a78 91A5EAA9-9CDA-4AA8-9A4D-70CB0822F7BB Thu, 19 Apr 2018 09:46:59 -0500 Two employees are accused of stealing from Coastal Alabama Community College in Bay Minette and Thomasville. We're talking thousands of dollars worth of property, including ice machines, toilets, even used gym flooring. Campus officials aren't saying much about the investigation but did confirm it to FOX10 News in the following statement: "Dr. Gary Branch, president of Coastal Alabama Community College, confirmed that two college employees have been arrested concerning the misappropriation of college property. One of the involved parties is no longer employed at the college. The matter continues to be under review and investigation and no further comment will be made at this time." http://www.fox10tv.com/story/37937904/coastal-al-community-college-theft-investigation-underway 7D24DEBF-7ADE-4331-94F1-35361773888D Fri, 13 Apr 2018 14:57:02 -0500 A Franklin County man is facing charges after pawning property owned by Duke University, according to a Wake County arrest warrant. Troy Daniel Mortenson, 28, of Youngsville, is facing two counts of felony obtain property by false pretense after authorities say he pawned computers belong to Duke University at two Raleigh pawn shops. The warrant does not say how he obtained the computers or if he's an employee of the university. http://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/wake-county-news/franklin-county-man-charged-with-pawning-duke-university-computers/1109273009 B4D5251C-214A-437A-B0F3-13552B8227A0 Mon, 9 Apr 2018 16:37:54 -0500 The president of a Christian college in Springdale has pleaded guilty in what prosecutors called a kickback scheme involving his school. Oren Paris III had faced a trial Monday with former state Sen. Jon Woods and consultant Randell Shelton. Instead, the president of Ecclesia College pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Fayetteville. Prosecutors say Paris paid kickbacks to Woods and then-Rep. Micah Neal in return for $550,000 in state grants in 2013-14, using Shelton's consulting firm as a go-between. Neal pleaded guilty last year but has not been sentenced. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/arkansas/articles/2018-04-04/college-president-pleads-guilty-before-arkansas-fraud-trial D5852A12-88DA-4044-B455-A33D49AFCC50 Wed, 4 Apr 2018 14:05:41 -0500 A Gulfport resident is accused of embezzling $11,600 while she worked at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Christina Lee Mullins, 34, is scheduled for trial in Aug. 6 on the felony charge. She worked for more than nine years at MGCCC, most of that time as a continuing education specialist, according to the school. A routine audit revealed inconsistencies that led to her arrest in November 2016, MGCCC said in a statement. http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/crime/article207722014.html 251AFBDF-4DC9-470E-8E2D-3BBAFBADBAC4 Mon, 2 Apr 2018 14:02:57 -0500 The Ohio State University announced that Ching-Shih Chen is no longer an employee at Ohio State after learning he committed research misconduct. The federal Office of Research Integrity received allegations regarding the misconduct asserting an image of manipulations existed in a number of published articles. After further review, the university found that Chen committed research misconduct relating to figures in eight journal articles and planned to terminate his employment as a result. Chen admitted he intentionally falsified data and resigned in September. https://www.10tv.com/article/ohio-state-professor-resigns-after-admitting-falsifying-data-cancer-research 07F6DAFD-8018-4979-AFF8-D8A3BB85B09E Fri, 30 Mar 2018 11:15:23 -0500 Hobart and William Smith Colleges is looking into allegations that its president, Gregory J. Vincent, plagiarized portions of the dissertation that earned him a doctorate in education. The allegations surfaced recently in an anonymous email to The Chronicle and other news media, as well as to officials at Hobart and William Smith, in Geneva, N.Y., where Vincent was named president last year, and at the University of Pennsylvania, which awarded Vincent an Ed.D. in 2004. https://www.chronicle.com/article/HobartWilliam-Smith/242955?cid=wcontentlist_hp_latest 51221D33-38CC-4CC2-BF48-627B298C3B22 Wed, 28 Mar 2018 10:39:59 -0500 Six employees of Howard University were fired for "gross misconduct and neglect of duties" after school officials discovered that financial aid money had been misappropriated, school leaders confirmed Wednesday. A university investigation discovered that for nine years -- from 2007 to 2016 -- some employees who received tuition benefits to cover the cost of taking classes were also receiving university grants. That double dipping exceeded the actual cost of attendance, signaling that the workers appeared to be embezzling. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2018/03/28/howard-university-fires-six-employees-after-investigation-into-misappropriated-funding/?utm_term=.1f7aa541967f 3192C891-6C8B-48B8-998E-E052EC677B38 Wed, 28 Mar 2018 20:35:49 -0500 Two employees at the Georgia State University bookstore face criminal charges after police said they stole more than $40,000-worth of merchandise from the business. Both Jordan Billingslea, 20, and Zacchaeus Tillman, 21, are face theft charge related to the incidents that happened between August 2017 until March 7, 2018. According to a police report from police, the GSU bookstore's manage discovered significant amounts of inventory was missing from the bookstore. Authorities launched an investigation and found video evidence of thefts. Tillman also allegedly confessed to taking nearly $40,000 in merchandise during the timeframe, while Billingslea said he took almost $700. http://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/police-report-gsu-bookstore-employees-admit-to-stealing-40k-in-merchandise/85-531488935 AC906F2C-036F-460C-9560-BACDD2E294A9 Fri, 23 Mar 2018 11:58:01 -0500 Nine days after UNLV President Len Jessup received an evaluation that detailed "several weaknesses" in his job performance, he secured a donation for $14 million that required him to remain in his position through 2022. The pledge toward the construction of UNLV’s new medical school building included a provision that medical school Dean Barbara Atkinson also keep her job through 2022, according to a memo obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. But the philanthropic commitment --a memorandum of understanding between the Engelstad Family Foundation and the UNLV Foundation -- raised ethical concerns, and Thom Reilly, chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, sought an outside legal opinion. https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/education/job-protection-provision-in-unlv-donation-questioned/ 88AA6F3C-3BA0-4FD1-846B-79126D73731D Fri, 16 Mar 2018 14:43:28 -0500 A fake university in Irvine, Calif. has stolen the University of Alberta's identity. The now-inactive website for California South University claimed the institution's campus "consists of 150 buildings covering 50 city blocks." Similar wording is used on Wikipedia to describe the U of A's North Campus in Edmonton. William Grover, an assistant professor in bioengineering at the University of California, Riverside, alerted the U of A to the fictitious university in December. He said he first heard of California South University when the institution emailed him, asking for money to have his research published. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/university-of-alberta-identity-theft-california-south-1.4578833 070589EB-69A7-4D78-9A80-3592ED250230 Fri, 16 Mar 2018 14:27:00 -0500 The former director of a Webster University institute who embezzled $375,000 was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Monday to probation and ordered to fill out a 65-page journal. Deborah Pierce, 62, of St. Louis, will also have to repay the money. U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey blasted Deborah Pierce's "reprehensible" theft and said there was no rational basis for a woman from a good background, with no history of daily abuse or drug problems and ample income to have committed this crime. http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/former-professor-who-embezzled-from-webster-university-institute-gets-probation/article_bc173903-8b4f-585f-9fd6-445200860336.html 13A33843-70F3-47D6-9CC0-994F0CC4C31B Mon, 12 Mar 2018 15:48:40 -0500 A Chinese national who is described as an expert in robotics has been charged with defrauding Michigan State University with false expense claims. Ning Xi (shee) also is accused of defrauding the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a professional organization. The FBI says it has counted more than $420,000 in fraudulent reimbursements over a five-year period. Records show the money was used to pay off substantial credit card debt. Xi is the former director of Michigan State's Robotics and Automation Laboratory. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/robotics-expert-charged-defrauding-michigan-university-53256294 C2237080-F562-402A-AD52-8C0192212F4A Wed, 21 Feb 2018 17:22:14 -0600 The former University of Notre Dame employee accused of taking close to $200,000 from the law school's Clinical Law Center entered into a plea agreement last week. Jennifer Ihns, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of corrupt business influence, one count of forgery and nine counts of theft. Ihns must pay $199,000 in restitution to Notre Dame and will be sentenced April 13. Her sentence was not set in the plea agreement. The audit showed between Jan. 2009 and June 2016, Ihns, who was the clinic administrator, cashed 129 checks from the clinic's operating accounting totaling more than $82,000. She also cashed 126 checks from the trust account for more than $96,000. https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/publicsafety/former-notre-dame-administrator-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-university-money/article_a67aa54a-1013-11e8-9321-a33ed4ffee61.html B01CFE99-A43B-499E-B75B-3C287950AF59 Tue, 13 Feb 2018 13:48:49 -0600 Federal prosecutors have dropped all criminal charges against the former director of an amateur basketball program who was among 10 people charged last year in a major corruption case involving college basketball, according to a court filing. In September, federal prosecutors in Manhattan accused Jonathan Brad Augustine of participating in a scheme to facilitate and make bribes to high-school basketball players so they would go to universities sponsored by Adidas AG. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crime-collegebasketball/u-s-drops-charges-against-defendant-in-ncaa-corruption-case-idUSKBN1FU11F 59A3EFF5-4D43-4093-8443-790DCE1E737E Sat, 10 Feb 2018 13:43:59 -0600 The UW System Regents took UW-Madison administrators to task Thursday for a lack of controls that allowed a former Division of University Housing employee to allegedly defraud the university of an estimated $115,000 in property and cash. The alleged fraud came to light when the former employee was seen carrying TVs out of a university building. An internal investigation found ongoing fraud over two-and-a-half years through the use of two purchasing cards with limits of $200,000 each. http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/education/university/regents-chide-uw-madison-for-in-fraud-by-former-housing/article_d157a700-b61f-51d0-9680-a326c2a23dfa.html 7D80210C-C5D8-481C-B6AE-E3BE3977FC42 Thu, 8 Feb 2018 10:57:53 -0600 An ethics inquiry into the hiring of Southern Illinois University Carbondale Chancellor Carlo Montemagno’s daughter and son-in-law has been passed from the university’s internal ethics office to the state inspector general, according to the SIU president. On Thursday, SIU President Randy Dunn opened up two inquiries into hires related to the chancellor. One investigation involves the hiring of Melissa and Jeffrey Germain, Montemagno's daughter and son-in-law, as part of negotiations of the chancellor’s employment. The other involves Montemagno’s reported recommendation of former colleagues to multiple campus positions. http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/illinois-ethics-agency-to-look-into-hiring-of-chancellor-s/article_b7608c37-6358-594a-9433-8fb438972c58.html 107852A5-3AE2-475E-AE41-1CDF37891B65 Fri, 2 Feb 2018 10:12:01 -0600 In late 2014, the University of Northern Colorado contracted with a company to develop a pair of web and smartphone apps for online teaching. UNC paid a hefty upfront fee to the software developer and made scheduled monthly payments as work progressed. There was one problem -- the software developer, Bossage Inc., didn't legally exist, and it did only a fraction of the work UNC paid it for. Ten months into the project, when UNC officials finally realized the university was being defrauded, the university was more than $85,000 in the hole. https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/local/unc-contracted-with-paid-software-developer-that-didnt-exist/ 168A01B3-C005-41F9-8CA0-E10ECFF5D2E7 Thu, 1 Feb 2018 10:22:23 -0600 A historically black university in Florida has filed a lawsuit against Virginia Union University President Dr. Hakim Lucas. The 164-page lawsuit accuses Lucas and several co-defendants of "illicit and fraudulent" misconduct, regarding the role they played in the construction of a dormitory at Bethune-Cookman University (BCU), where Lucas previously served as vice president of institutional advancement. The dorm construction project that could end up costing BCU more than $300 million is the impetus for this lawsuit filed by the college this week in circuit court in Volusia County, Florida. http://wtvr.com/2018/01/25/bethune-cookman-university-files-lawsuit-against-virginia-union-university-president-dr-hakim-lucas/ 73E4C3C1-AC87-4B6B-BD48-AAD4BFA5B150 Thu, 25 Jan 2018 08:36:08 -0600 Two University of Tennessee athletic department employees accepted impermissible golf trips, according to the results of an audit released Wednesday by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office. The report investigated trips that occurred in 2014 and 2016, including a pair of trips to the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga. At least twice in 2016, the report states, UT’s director of sports surface management accepted paid golf trips and related entertainment from a department vendor, which is a violation of university policy. University policy doesn’t allow employees to accept gifts or entertainment exceeding $75 in value. https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/2018/01/24/investigation-finds-ut-athletics-staff-got-trips-entertainment-staff-accepted-trips-and-entertainmen/1061305001/?elqTrackId=09bde006083a43e18982332b69f6a43e&elq=c9bc2e1b436d47c6bf7af11bae3c250a&elqaid=17584&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=7729 494D130C-8653-472A-90BA-B271FFCD8C61 Wed, 24 Jan 2018 10:37:26 -0600 David Hutson had it good. An employee of the University of South Carolina’s athletics department, he was making $69,125 a year. As part of that job, he had an official university credit card to be used only for USC business. But unknown to the athletics department, Hutson was using that Visa Bank of America credit card to go on a nonstop internet shopping spree, according to state court and USC records obtained by Freedom of Information Act requests. http://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article196203269.html D16E4F29-82F5-432A-8C0B-3827566A36EF Tue, 23 Jan 2018 10:19:34 -0600 A Chinese citizen accused of posing as someone else to take a graduate school entrance exam on her behalf pleaded guilty on Tuesday in a criminal case that arose from U.S. prosecutors investigating international students who use imposters to gain admission to American universities. Xinyan Wang, who was a student at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to charges that she misused a passport and committed visa fraud by using counterfeit travel documents to take the exam. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-education-crime/chinese-citizen-pleads-guilty-to-u-s-graduate-school-exam-fraud-idUSKBN1FC2WT 925498B1-7183-4298-A78C-981F1F203248 Tue, 23 Jan 2018 09:49:36 -0600 The chief photographer in the University of Tennessee Athletics Department was being paid by other schools to get photos of non-UT athletes while using UT equipment during work hours, according to a report from the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury. The report released Thursday said Page was also using UT student assistants and some non-students to photograph the non-UT athletes, and paying the assistants in cash. https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/2018/01/18/report-ut-photographer-paid-take-photos-non-ut-athletes/1044638001/ 63980503-5EEB-46E1-8263-9DF7256BB064 Thu, 18 Jan 2018 10:40:02 -0600 A former Baruch College coach admitted Wednesday to siphoning $700,000 meant for the school's athletic department, authorities said. Machli Joseph, 43, pleaded guilty to embezzlement and misapplication. The onetime basketball coach, who worked in the college's athletic department from 2002 to 2016, repeatedly rented gym facilities to outside parties, ''ostensibly on behalf of Baruch College,'' prosecutors said. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ex-baruch-college-basketball-coach-admits-embezzling-700g-article-1.3763375 D942540F-5F08-4E78-8F19-C1407C2188BB Thu, 18 Jan 2018 14:30:16 -0600 The former treasurer of a University of Oklahoma fraternity has been charged with embezzlement after being accused of withdrawing thousands of dollars from the organization. Jacob Morgan Stephens, 21, is accused of embezzling about $32,000 from the OU chapter of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity, court records show. http://www.swtimes.com/news/20180117/ex-treasurer-for-university-of-oklahoma-fraternity-faces-embezzlement-charge 2015B04A-8129-4CEF-BA04-2836895AE93C Wed, 17 Jan 2018 16:16:52 -0600 A Medaille College employee is being investigated by Buffalo police for an alleged theft of more than $10,000. Matt Carver, Medaille's vice president for business and finance, filed a complaint with police earlier this month stating that an employee in the college's admissions office used a college corporate credit card to make unauthorized personal purchases from October through December. http://buffalonews.com/2018/01/16/police-investigate-alleged-unlawful-credit-card-purchases-at-medaille-college/ DD45B42C-E1F9-4271-BDF7-50EB3E304CAB Tue, 16 Jan 2018 00:00:00 -0600 A former administrator at a Columbia University-affiliated school and three students have been accused of running a financial aid kickback scheme that funneled more than $800,000 in stipends into their own pockets, according to law enforcement sources and a criminal complaint. Melanie Williams-Bethea -- who sources said was a financial aid director at Columbia's Teachers College until 2017 -- was charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, bribery and student aid fraud, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Thursday. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Columbia-University-Kickback-Scheme-NYC-New-York-468836093.html 8940BB90-7D19-47AF-AECD-0B6C4B4F4066 Thu, 11 Jan 2018 20:47:04 -0600 A former Florida Atlantic University student is accused of enrolling in classes using fraudulent checks and receiving nearly $30,000 worth of refunds after dropping the classes. An FAU police report says 27-year-old Denise Elizabeth Keaton registered to take classes five times in June 2014 as Elizabeth Denise Keaton and paid with about $54,000 in fraudulent online checks. The arrest report says Keaton then canceled the classes and received funds from the university in three of the five cases. http://www.tampabay.com/correction-university-fraud-arrest-story-ap_floridaca52c08d9bab4ef6b851811fd3e5346a D042C02A-3CC8-4FBC-91AE-987D25E82836 Wed, 3 Jan 2018 08:14:08 -0600 University of California Regent Norm Pattiz, who was recorded last year asking an actress at his podcast company if he could hold her breasts and had recently been pressured to leave the board, will step down in February, The Chronicle has learned. The board took no action against Pattiz when the recording surfaced in October 2016 because he wasn’t conducting UC business at the time, said the regents, whose job includes holding UC faculty and executives accountable for sexual misconduct. The regents have since changed their policy so that alleged outside misconduct can trigger an investigation. http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/UC-Regent-Norm-Pattiz-accused-of-sexual-12460438.php?utm_campaign=twitter-premium#photo-14560028 68244F15-D033-4928-8154-4D73AE4F8AF4 Thu, 28 Dec 2017 08:21:54 -0600 A Clemson University student and former treasurer of the school's sailing club is accused of using the organization's credit card to pay for his tuition, rent and a spring break trip to Key West, Florida. Mateo Gomez, 22, was arrested Friday and charged with a breach of trust, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. http://www.independentmail.com/story/news/crime/2017/12/15/record-clemson-university-sailing-club-treasurer-used-club-cash-rent-spring-break/955763001/ 1B0BEFD5-8A8A-42F7-9C31-4DDC8364C02B Fri, 15 Dec 2017 10:01:33 -0600 A Chinese college student was arrested on Monday in the latest case to stem from U.S. investigations into international students who authorities say hire imposters to take exams on their behalf to gain admission to American universities. Xinyan Wang, a student at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Pennsylvania, on six different occasions since July took college entrance exams under other peoples' names, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Boston. http://www.businessinsider.com/r-us-charges-chinese-woman-in-college-exam-fraud-2017-11?r=UK&IR=T 6BDF901D-8F5C-4EEE-8B24-627AC0926363 Mon, 13 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 Federal prosecutors say three Ohio women have been indicted in a plot that used stolen identities and those of prison inmates and acquaintances to steal federal financial aid after enrolling hundreds of people at an Arizona community college. Prosecutors say phantom students were awarded $1.8 million in financial aid after being enrolled in online classes by the women at Tempe-based Maricopa Community College. Prosecutors say that while most of the money went to the school for tuition, the scheme netted the women and co-conspirators about $200,000. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/ohio/articles/2017-11-09/3-ohio-women-indicted-for-fraud-in-federal-college-aid-scam EFAD5F76-73B2-4188-9A51-E4CFA1309968 Thu, 9 Nov 2017 00:00:00 -0600 The co-chairs of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics made one of their most blistering broadsides at the NCAA in years Monday, saying the association needs to change its rules regarding how it deals with allegations of academic fraud and be more aggressive in identifying potential corruption in college sports. Making the comments particularly striking is that they came from Arne Duncan, a former Secretary of Education, and Carol Cartwright, who was a member of the NCAA Infractions Committee panel that recently handled the North Carolina academic scandal. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2017/10/30/knight-commission-calls-for-changes-north-carolina-cleared-academic-fraud/814392001/ 93F1F3BB-2D88-4654-AF43-92A1632C7807 Mon, 30 Oct 2017 19:13:57 -0500 A former student at Cornell University has pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of student loan fraud, according to the United States Attorney’s Office. Cavya Chandra, 26, of Carmel, Ind., admitted she obtained admission to -- and attended -- three universities between 2008 and 2014 by forging various documents, including academic transcripts and letters of recommendation. http://www.ithacajournal.com/story/news/local/2017/10/18/former-cornell-student-pleads-guilty-student-loan-fraud/778815001/ 0BBBE48F-33C7-495E-A5D6-9941A82FE0BA Wed, 18 Oct 2017 00:00:00 -0500 A former instructor has been charged with embezzling more than $21,000 from Montana State University's Western Transportation Institute. According to charging documents: In May of 2016, an employee with WTI contacted the MSU Police Department about possible theft involving Jenkins. The employee monitored enrollment and revenue for WTI, which is a department in the MSU College of Engineering that teaches classes on transportation. The employee said she noticed that, dating back to July of 2014, WTI's revenue was not as high as it should have been https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/former-instructor-charged-with-embezzling-k-from-msu/article_0d51ce93-037b-5d20-85bc-246c75e1bd90.html 673BC5BB-855F-4438-A21A-0F18C8EA4946 Fri, 6 Oct 2017 08:40:00 -0500 The former director of financial aid at the Blake Austin College in Vacaville made a brief court appearance Thursday after previously pleading no contest to a felony embezzlement charge. Prosecutors backed out of that deal last month. A prosecutor explained Thursday that they came into Vandyne's court appearance in September believing the extent of his thievery amounted to $59,000. Since then, they have re-evaluated the extent of the loss to the college and now believe the college is out more than $138,000. http://www.dailyrepublic.com/solano-news/vacaville/prosecutors-seek-to-toss-plea-deal-for-former-vacaville-college-worker-in-embezzlement-case/ DB0A468D-4972-4AAA-9FAF-D6A790F07E51 Fri, 6 Oct 2017 08:31:19 -0500 A former College of DuPage employee has been sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing more than $400,000 from the west suburban college's radio station. John Valenta, 65, was an engineer at WDCB 90.9 FM for about 30 years, working on the college's campus in Glen Ellyn, according to the DuPage County state's attorney's office. http://abc7chicago.com/college-of-dupage-employee-sentenced-to-8-years-for-stealing-$400k/2469816/ 7CE50177-818A-4166-873C-CC7BA3F1715F Sat, 30 Sep 2017 00:00:00 -0500 A Medgar Evers College professor has been accused by the feds of running his own fake school in his real employer's name. Mamdouh Abdel-Sayed was charged on Friday with soliciting bribes, wire fraud, mail fraud and obstruction of justice, among other crimes, after a four-year scheme in which he essentially ran "his own fraudulent trade school," according to New York State Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott. http://gothamist.com/2017/09/30/medgar_evers_college_professor_char.php FA70337A-57E8-44BA-87D9-80991C68CFD3 Sat, 30 Sep 2017 00:00:00 -0500 Rick Pitino, the Hall of Fame college basketball coach who over his 31-year head coaching career has led his teams to seven Final Fours and two national championships, has almost certainly coached his last game. The University of Louisville placed Pitino, its figurehead for the last 16 years and the highest paid head coach in all of college basketball, on unpaid administrative leave Wednesday citing allegations of corruption detailed by the acting US attorney for the southern district of New York that implicated Pitino’s program and led to the arrest of 10 people including four assistant coaches at other major college basketball programs. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2017/sep/28/ncaa-fbi-fraud-corruption-bribery 6302ECA7-7563-41C0-8785-77128E678139 Thu, 28 Sep 2017 00:00:00 -0500 The Federal Bureau of Investigation has charged several college coaches in conjunction with a corruption scheme saying that those coaches, advisors and others lied and used their stature to influence high school recruits to sign with schools. Oklahoma State assistant Lamont Evans, Auburn assistant Chuck Person, Emanuel "Book" Richardson of Arizona and USC assistant Tony Bland and six others have each been charged in the corruption and fraud scheme.. https://www.si.com/college-basketball/2017/09/26/coaches-corruption-fraud-scheme 174F136C-DFB3-4501-B37A-AF33C64346B5 Tue, 26 Sep 2017 00:00:00 -0500 Nine Florida football players face potential third-degree felony charges amid an alleged fraud ring, per Alachua County Courts records released Monday afternoon. Sworn complaints show players are accused of using credit card fraud in order to make purchases that included electronic devices. https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/9/25/16361752/florida-gators-players-arrested-suspensions B5977777-EB39-4401-99DE-552530825310 Mon, 25 Sep 2017 00:00:00 -0500 A Virginia Tech professor is accused of defrauding the United States government and the university in a case that involves grant funding in excess of $1 million. Yiheng Percival Zhang, 46, is charged with wire fraud, making criminal false claims and making false statements to the ''detriment of the United States Government's innovation and development programs,'' according to a federal affidavit filed in the U.S. Western District Court of Virginia. http://www.roanoke.com/news/education/higher_education/virginia_tech/virginia-tech-professor-arrested-charged-with-defrauding-government/article_f2d6cb1a-b504-5a30-a0cb-bf448fd524fd.html 028C08F8-987C-4224-954C-CE62F76A52A8 Mon, 25 Sep 2017 00:00:00 -0500 A top University of Florida housing official has been charged with stealing more than $180,000 to buy $16,000 worth of lunches, nearly $45,000 in furniture and $37,000 more in electronics, a report shows. Azfar Mian, 41, senior director of UF housing and education, was arrested Monday night and charged with grand larceny of more than $100,000. According to a UF police report, Mian used state funds to buy $25,000 in household items, more than $11,500 in maintenance items like lawn mowers and more than $44,000 for miscellaneous items including internet service, electricity and seven cellphones. http://www.gainesville.com/news/20170918/uf-housing-director-suspected-of-180k-in-credit-card-fraud 76804C64-6BFA-4373-A9A4-6CBB36DBAFA1 Mon, 18 Sep 2017 16:18:39 -0500 A Kirksville man faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine after he pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding a University of Missouri fraternity. Burt Beard, 62, a former MU student and business owner in Kirksville, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty to charges of bank fraud last week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps. Between March 2008 and August 2014, Beard defrauded fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon of at least $380,502, according to documents from the U.S. Western District Court of Missouri. http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/20170911/kirskville-man-pleads-guilty-to-defrauding-university-of-missouri-fraternity 608E5B7C-FC8E-42D1-BDBD-C7FA1D857A8A Mon, 11 Sep 2017 08:21:35 -0500 Dennis R. Black, the former longtime University at Buffalo vice president who resigned unceremoniously last year, pleaded guilty Thursday morning in State Supreme Court to felony charges that accuse him of stealing $320,000 from a university-related bank account. Black spent stolen funds on an assortment of luxuries and personal expenses, tickets to see James Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Yankees games and Broadway shows, $34,000 for membership in the private Saturn Club, UB staff parties at Bisons games, travel with his wife, and his son's wedding. http://buffalonews.com/2017/09/07/longtime-ub-administrator-plead-theft-related-charges-court/ 5900926B-5C34-4D0A-BD50-CA4D74AA3703 Thu, 7 Sep 2017 13:09:12 -0500 A Canadian university says staffers unwittingly lost $9.5m (C$11.8m; £7.5m) in an online phishing scam. Fraudulent emails convinced staff at MacEwan University that one of its clients was changing its bank account details. Staff then paid money into the fraudulently created account. The university, in Edmonton, Alberta, is auditing its business practices. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41116177 83D61EC6-0487-4677-88E0-7032A7260D8D Fri, 1 Sep 2017 10:15:11 -0500 The University of Louisville Foundation cut ties with a financial consultant it had hired on a contract last month after he was charged Wednesday with stealing from the pro-shop at the U of L Golf Club. Robert Mims, 51, "confessed to stealing" three items from the pro-shop when stopped by police at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday upon leaving the shop’s parking lot "at a high rate of speed," according to a criminal citation obtained from Shelby County District Court. http://www.wdrb.com/story/36115370/university-of-louisville-foundation-fires-consultant-charged-with-stealing-from-u-of-l-golf-club EBD465EE-B945-4438-8A03-784170E8093E Fri, 11 Aug 2017 13:41:12 -0500 Five people are suspected of stealing technology equipment from the University of Central Florida last week, police said Thursday. UCF police said Justin Reyes, 21, confessed after he tried to sell a camera worth almost $500 on Craigslist. Authorities said they recovered nearly $4,000 in equipment, including an iPad and a projector. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-arrest-ucf-stolen-property-20170803-story.html 934A55C0-E4D5-47F7-A727-A257CF77AB32 Thu, 3 Aug 2017 08:17:58 -0500 The investigation of possible embezzlement at the University of Missouri is now a federal case, MU announced in a short statement issued Thursday. On July 25, the university issued a news release that the MU Police Department was investigating "suspected misappropriation of funds from student organization accounts affiliated with Greek Life." http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/20170803/university-of-missouri-embezzlement-investigation-turned-over-to-feds 4E558A9D-72D8-456C-8B24-01CFF4539D55 Thu, 3 Aug 2017 14:33:40 -0500 As the financial review of the Idaho State University RISE Complex is nearing its conclusion, university officials say they have found problems related to the spending of research and contract funds. ISU says the law was broken, and university policies weren’t followed in the use of public funds and conflicts of interest. Most of their findings pointed to one man, Dr. Eric Burgett, former director of the RISE Complex. https://www.eastidahonews.com/2017/08/isu-investigation-former-rise-complex-director-misused-university-funds/ 79F1D087-9A9E-4EAC-A162-8F63BF502351 Tue, 1 Aug 2017 08:11:24 -0500 In June 2016, investigators at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens concluded that Azza El-Remessy, a faculty member who studied the impact of diabetes on the eye, had committed misconduct and recommended she be terminated. El-Remessy hired a lawyer to dispute the findings, but the following October she gave up her challenge after the university paid her $100,000 --essentially to leave. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/07/why-would-university-pay-scientist-found-guilty-misconduct-leave A7EDA8F9-1700-4DA3-BBB7-238AB8DDAB9B Mon, 31 Jul 2017 13:38:30 -0500 A woman accused of embezzling from Northwestern Michigan College has been arrested and charged. Michelle Schneider was arraigned Thursday on one charge of embezzlement agent of more than $1,000 but less than $20,000. According to court records, Schneider was a former employee of NMC in the Education Media Technologies department and was terminated on March 27, 2017 for misuse of her NMC issued credit card and embezzlement from NMC. http://upnorthlive.com/news/local/former-employee-charged-after-allegedly-embezzling-from-northwestern-michigan-college 8D8EA102-7BB4-4959-A4FA-D51A8F825278 Thu, 27 Jul 2017 09:24:37 -0500 A Virginia woman accused of taking hospital patients' information has pleaded guilty to identity theft. Forty-one-year-old Angela Roberts of Stephenson, Virginia, entered the plea Monday in federal court in Martinsburg. According to her indictment, Roberts obtained names, Social Security and driver's license numbers and other sensitive information from the patient database of her employer, WVU Medicine University Healthcare in Martinsburg. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/west-virginia/articles/2017-07-25/virginia-woman-admits-stealing-hospital-patient-information 173E203D-720F-445D-AD4C-B10FC0536E5D Tue, 25 Jul 2017 14:14:24 -0500 The investigations into money mismanagement continue at the University of New Mexico. This, after the LGBTQ Director was fired last month, accused of taking trips that never got approved, paying for lunches on the university’s dime, then lying about it all. Alma Rosa Silva-Banuelos worked with the university’s LGBTQ Resource Center since 2010. She was promoted as the center’s program specialist in 2012. http://krqe.com/2017/07/20/do-not-publish-unm-lgbtq-director-misuses-university-funds-fired-after-internal-investigation/ 58848ED1-9F04-43FE-B2B8-428FFB5403E9 Fri, 21 Jul 2017 08:13:35 -0500 Texas A&M’s outgoing Provost and Executive Vice President Karan Watson has been removed from her position after an internal audit found significant conflict of interest issues tied to business dealings her spouse had with the university, according to documents obtained by The Eagle. The investigation is likely to trigger sweeping changes throughout A&M System universities and agencies by prohibiting spouses and close family members of senior administrators from doing business with the System. http://www.theeagle.com/townnews/university/watson-removed-as-texas-a-m-provost-interim-named-until/article_58035052-6bf8-11e7-a223-1f67eff86277.html B51FA326-162C-4295-A41C-3282AD0BC813 Wed, 19 Jul 2017 08:21:28 -0500 Prosecutors say a project manager at the University of South Carolina funneled $420,000 worth of grant money to himself over seven years. The state grand jury indicted 48-year-old Blake Langland on five counts relating to public corruption in an indictment made public Tuesday. The indictment says Langland works at the university's Electrical Engineering Department. http://abcnews4.com/news/local/university-of-south-carolina-employee-charged-with-corruption-in-kickback-scheme 0AFECA06-5757-4B05-9B85-BEBA352FE624 Tue, 18 Jul 2017 08:05:26 -0500 A Lawrence man has been charged with burglary and theft after allegedly stealing $13,000 worth of items from a lab at the University of Kansas. Matthew C. Reynard, 37, was charged Tuesday in Douglas County District Court with one count of burglary and two counts of theft, all felonies. Reynard is accused of taking a veterinary camera, a camera control unit, syringes and hypodermic needles belonging to KU from Malott Hall on June 24, according to the charges. http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2017/jul/14/man-charged-stealing-animal-lab-equipment-ku/ 97E03134-5203-4850-82C6-E0EF7CCB395C Fri, 14 Jul 2017 08:26:34 -0500 A supervisor in the accounts payable department at Hamline University accused of orchestrating an elaborate fraud scheme admitted to the conduct in court this week. Teresa Garin, 51, of St. Paul pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of felony-level theft by swindle, court records say. Garin stole more than $150,000 from the school by creating fake vendor accounts and cashing checks issued by the university into her personal bank account, according to criminal complaints. http://www.twincities.com/2017/07/11/former-supervisor-at-hamline-university-admits-to-swindling-school-out-of-more-than-100000/ 7FE75EBB-D6FD-4720-B1CA-7477F876A3BD Tue, 11 Jul 2017 08:05:00 -0500 A Houston Community College trustee faces up to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to bribery, federal prosecutors said Friday. At Christopher W. Oliver's plea hearing, it was revealed in open court that he had met with another person on several occasions at restaurants and coffee shops in Houston. Oliver admitted accepting cash in exchange for promises to use his position to help another person secure contracts with HCC, the news release said. http://www.chron.com/houston/article/HCC-Trustee-accused-of-bribery-11274032.php 6AD0C1F1-FC5E-42B0-922C-D9FE0B50F7E4 Fri, 7 Jul 2017 08:03:06 -0500 A longtime employee of Southeast Community College’s Milford campus was fired last November after it was discovered she stole more than $20,000 from the college. On Thursday, Stephany A. Canning, 58, was charged with one count of felony theft of more than $5,000 in Seward County Court following an investigation involving the Nebraska State Patrol. http://journalstar.com/news/local/education/longtime-scc-employee-accused-of-stealing-more-than-from-college/article_e7f061de-c3f5-5b6e-97cd-dab47b0bcbd9.html 619525EB-035C-480B-A628-DF5002EE8062 Thu, 6 Jul 2017 08:08:52 -0500 Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, and his wife, Jane Sanders have hired prominent defense attorneys amid an FBI investigation into a loan Jane Sanders obtained to expand Burlington College while she was its president, CBS News confirms. According to Politico, prosecutors might also be looking into allegations that Sen. Sanders' office inappropriately urged the bank to approve the loan. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bernie-and-jane-sanders-under-fbi-investigation-for-bank-fraud-hire-lawyers/ BBCB9ECD-BE83-443A-BADA-3FBD24DF480C Fri, 23 Jun 2017 08:19:08 -0500 Wright State University will cooperate with the Ohio Inspector General and release information pertaining to the years-ongoing H-1B work visa investigation. The school's board of trustees moved to waive attorney-client privilege in order to allow the Ohio Inspector General's office to gain access to equipment and materials taken by the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation over the investigation of H-1B visa fraud that led the school to remove its previous provost and other top leaders. http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2017/06/08/wright-state-university-to-cooperate-ohio-visa.html 9EE3587C-8473-4E8A-83E0-FCC4412C8175 Thu, 8 Jun 2017 08:44:36 -0500 An email scheme has cost Southern Oregon University $1.9 million in lost funds that should’ve gone to the contractor on the McNeal Pavilion and Student Recreation Center construction project, the university announced this afternoon. Unknown suspects allegedly posed as Andersen Construction in an email, prompting officials to send their spring payment to a bank account the contractor did not control, according to Mark Denney, SOU’s vice president of budget and planning. http://www.mailtribune.com/news/20170607/sou-loses-19-million-in-email-fraud D0E7B071-36A3-4A27-A348-4FB25DB80402 Thu, 8 Jun 2017 08:42:47 -0500 Under former University of Louisville President James Ramsey, the U of L’s nonprofit foundation depleted the university’s endowment to fund excessive spending on things ranging from compensation to real estate to football tickets, according to special audit released Thursday. And, emails revealed in the audit show Ramsey’s former chief of staff, Kathleen Smith, "expressed an interest in concealing" the foundation’s more-than $20 million in extra compensation from public records and journalists, according to the report. http://www.wdrb.com/story/35619610/university-of-louisville-foundation-audit-paints-disturbing-picture-of-excessive-spending-and-attempts-to-conceal-truth 64F58817-CAC0-4EAF-800D-B87BDABF5969 Thu, 8 Jun 2017 08:38:18 -0500 Two people were indicted on federal charges related to a $12 million scam in which they stole identities in order to file fake tax returns and profit from the refunds. Taiwo K. Onamuti, 29, Doraville, Ga., and Muideen A. Adebule, 49, Indianapolis, face 23 federal charges including aggravated identity theft, identity theft, false claims and conspiracy. http://cbs4indy.com/2017/06/08/feds-12-million-id-theft-scam-used-personal-info-bought-online-acquired-from-fafsa-website/ 0487B5C3-5894-46CC-B954-6868FA4553EE Thu, 8 Jun 2017 07:56:11 -0500 The head of sports ticket sales at the University of Minnesota has been fired, accused of stealing from the school. WCCO has learned the FBI is now involved in the alleged fraud case believed to have been going on for years. Brent Holck worked as assistant athletic director of sales and services until an audit this winter found some possible criminal activity. http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2017/06/01/fbi-investigates-holck/ CFEFA12C-120B-415C-9779-01DD198AA8C3 Fri, 2 Jun 2017 09:29:22 -0500 A state investigation into hiring practices at Northern Illinois University has found that NIU officials hired at least five people as though they were part-time instructors and paid them more than $1 million combined over a roughly two-year period. A 56-page report by the Office of the Executive Inspector General concludes that NIU President Doug Baker mismanaged the university by endorsing the hiring scheme, which greatly benefited one of his personal friends. http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2017/05/31/oeig-report-niu-mismanaged-by-president-baker/ahv0nmv/ 63DFE8E3-B3E6-4F41-992F-CD3D833E9DD1 Thu, 1 Jun 2017 09:13:12 -0500 University clarifies that Title IX coordinator, Chris Loschiavo was fired for buying porn on UF account, but Dean Jen Day Saw praised him to next employer. It has been learned that using a university-supplied email, he also bought pornographic videos with titles that included erotic torture and rough sex, cyborg sex, threesome sex and more. Loschiavo was recently hired as the Title IX coordinator of Florida Polytechnic University. His UF supervisor, Jen Day Shaw, gave him an effusive recommendation. Now, both are out of a job. http://www.gainesville.com/news/20170530/two-uf-administrators-lose-jobs-over-poor-judgment 05E463CF-A92E-490E-9F90-7800B26C213E Tue, 30 May 2017 08:20:04 -0500 An investigation into outgoing Chancellor Nicholas Dirks’ misuse of public funds, which revealed he failed to pay $4,990, cost the university a total of $57,671 to carry out -- more than 10 times the cost of the misused funds -- according to invoice documents obtained by The Daily Californian. The UC Office of the President hired the independent firm Public Interest Investigations, Inc., based out of Los Angeles, to conduct the investigation in April 2016, as previously reported by the Daily Cal. http://www.dailycal.org/2017/05/30/investigation-revealing-chancellor-dirks-4990-misuse-public-funds-cost-university-57671/ A97F0109-D83A-4AE5-A386-DB6BB1BBE0B2 Tue, 30 May 2017 08:08:54 -0500 The University of California will no longer pay for its governing board members to throw themselves dinners and parties after a Chronicle report showed that the regents regularly billed the university for their festivities. Although the events were charged to a private endowment, and thus not covered by public money or tuition, the practice will stop "to avoid any question over use of university or university-associated funds," Board of Regents Chair Monica Lozano and UC President Janet Napolitano said in a statement Sunday. http://www.sfchronicle.com/education/article/UC-reverses-policy-won-t-pick-up-tab-for-11181194.php 314E168B-5A59-43FD-9903-60AF54A6AC90 Mon, 29 May 2017 08:31:40 -0500 A group of Minnesota journalists is asking the University of Minnesota Board of Regents to drop its investigation into news leaks about an alleged sexual harassment case in the school’s athletics department. A petition by members of the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild calls on the administration to concentrate on the issue of sexual harassment rather than pursuing any individuals who may have shared information with the media. http://www.twincities.com/2017/05/24/journalists-ask-university-of-minnesota-regents-to-drop-leak-investigation/ B1FB1691-D8CF-4C7A-B43A-13A43048921E Wed, 24 May 2017 14:43:42 -0500 Questions, and controversy, continue to mount about a 2015 golf junket to Scotland in which the University of New Mexico used public funds to pay for three employees and three private donors. This week, it was revealed that UNM paid much of the expenses for the three private donors. The state Constitution’s anti-donation clause prohibits state entities from making gifts to private citizens. UNM also hid the fact it paid for private donors by failing to release that information when it was requested by the Journal several weeks ago. https://www.abqjournal.com/1007515 5D0E662B-5545-4A5F-9642-D347A9FB0C3F Tue, 23 May 2017 09:40:26 -0500 Johnson C. Smith University is investigating its own students after officials said some may have used stolen funds on their student flex cards to buy food on campus. Flex cards hold money that students can use to purchase food at dining establishments on campus.Some students received messages from the school notifying them that they were under investigation for illegally receiving funds from Red Mango and/or Burger King on campus by using their meal card. One student, who didn't want his identity revealed, told Channel that employees at the restaurants are able to illegally add money to student cards. http://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/jcsu-uncovers-fraudulent-transactions-on-student-meal-cards/524148380 166E8534-4647-426C-88F0-4B56A5C8CCB0 Fri, 19 May 2017 08:03:37 -0500 Missing iPads. Unnecessary travel. Improper credit card purchases. A recent audit of the University of Iowa athletics department found that administrators failed to adequately monitor information technology purchases, allowing wasteful spending and creating major risks for equipment theft. The department’s IT director, Patrick Delin, left his job in February as auditors were nearing the conclusion of an inquiry that was sharply critical of his practices, Iowa confirmed this week. http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa/hawkcentral/2017/05/11/critical-audit-another-blow-iowa-athletics/101562354/ EDB9F459-084C-4926-AF56-244A7D52975D Thu, 11 May 2017 08:37:09 -0500 The University of Minnesota Board of Regents held an emergency meeting Thursday morning regarding a sexual harassment investigation of a top fundraiser in the university's athletics office who violated the school's policy. Board Of Regents Chair Dean Johnson announced the board is launching an investigation into the source of KSTP's report on the sexual harassment investigation. The board is asking each of its 12 members, as well as university employees who had access to the memo provided to KSTP, to sign affidavits that they did not share it. http://kstp.com/news/randy-handel-university-of-minnesota-sexual-harrassment/4479772/?cat=1 084C5EC2-8E7C-4ABA-A8B3-C3AA669058E6 Thu, 11 May 2017 16:10:18 -0500 Federal investigators are looking into allegations that Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) wife, Jane Sanders, falsified loan documents while she served as the president of Burlington College, according to a Friday Daily Caller News Foundation report. The small Vermont liberal-arts school closed down in May 2016, after going bankrupt and failing to meet accreditation standards. Jane Sanders has been accused of falsifying the information on the loan documents in order to expand the college grounds. http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/332313-fbi-investigating-jane-sanders-for-alleged-bank-fraud-report 67C290C4-0EFC-457A-BAD2-292050A8F7D9 Sun, 7 May 2017 09:02:14 -0500 A black rhinoceros horn stolen from a locked room at the University of Vermont is likely destined for the international black market, said a law enforcement agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who has worked on rhino horn trafficking cases in the United States and Europe. Special agent Robert Rothe said Wednesday a drill was used to disable a lock on the door at the university's Torrey Hall in Burlington, where the black rhino horn had been hanging for decades. The theft was discovered April 27. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/vermont/articles/2017-05-03/u-of-vermont-police-searching-for-stolen-rhino-horn A591F79A-48C7-4E6F-9F36-03D108938AF3 Wed, 3 May 2017 13:39:48 -0500 The odds were long, but a couple of University of Kentucky students decided it was worth the risk to climb through the ceiling ducts to a teacher’s office to steal a statistics exam. Unfortunately for them, the teacher is a night owl. Shortly after police arrived, one of the students returned and confessed. Henry Lynch II, a 21-year-old junior majoring in biosystems engineering, gave police an earful, including that he’d climbed through the building’s air ducts to the ceiling above Cain’s office and dropped down into the room, then unlocked the door and let in his friend, sophomore Troy Kiphuth, 21, who was not in Cain’s class. http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/education/article148415434.html 3A528C18-C54B-4AFD-9ADF-C9F579434835 Wed, 3 May 2017 08:49:03 -0500 Officials at some University of California campuses changed their responses to surveys from state auditors after the UC Office of the President intervened, resulting in more positive reviews of the administration, according to documents released as part of a scathing audit of UC financial practices. UC officials disputed the findings, saying Wednesday that UC President Janet Napolitano’s office did not censor the responses. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-uc-audit-interference-20170427-story.html CC691800-307B-47FC-BBCA-529610AF1CD8 Fri, 28 Apr 2017 08:43:36 -0500 The administration of the University of California (UC) system hid $175 million in budget reserve funds from state officials, a new review found, prompting the state’s auditor to call for "significant change" at the top to strengthen public trust in the system. In the audit, released Tuesday, State Auditor Elaine Howle urged California Gov. Jerry Brown and other lawmakers to increase oversight of the office of President Janet Napolitano. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/04/25/audit-university-california-administration/100894202/ 4FCAEBDE-E527-4F1B-8172-1C088D4EFA18 Tue, 25 Apr 2017 08:27:05 -0500 The University of California today (April 20) announced it has uncovered a massive scheme targeting students through its student health plan that fraudulently obtained student information and then stole almost $12 million from UC by writing phony medical prescriptions in the students’ names. The university plans to file a motion for a temporary restraining order early Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court to immediately shut down the scheme, which involved enrolling UC students in sham "clinical trials" and "recruiting" them at campus job fairs. https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/press-room/uc-moves-shut-down-alleged-fraud-targeting-students 98EE642A-E597-45C8-8D7C-2200D59ECCB3 Thu, 20 Apr 2017 11:09:01 -0500 UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks improperly accepted free university benefits, including membership to the campus fitness center, two years of personal training sessions and the unauthorized transfer of exercise equipment from the public gym to his private residence, a university investigation has found. UC ethics rules bar employees from the unauthorized use of campus resources or facilities or the "entanglement" of private interests with UC obligations. http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-essential-education-updates-southern-uc-berkeley-chancellor-nicholas-dirks-1490390221-htmlstory.html F53DD1DD-D38F-4EBB-A07F-C44524411083 Fri, 24 Mar 2017 08:25:48 -0500 Alabama A&M University's chief operating officer and executive vice president has pleaded to guilty to charges stemming from a state audit on the university's finances. Kevin Rolle pleaded guilty to possession of a forged instrument. Court records show he has agreed to 12 months in the county jail and may argue for a suspended sentence. He also agreed to pay court costs. The charges stem from Rolle's moving expenses when he took his job at AAMU in 2009. According to the indictment, he collected more than $6,000 in moving expenses, but those expenses could not be verified later. http://www.waff.com/story/34986528/alabama-am-university-executive-vp-pleads-guilty-to-forgery-resigns 9631685B-0510-4BE0-BDC9-0ADE9C71BD82 Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:19:41 -0500 A Pocatello man accused of embezzling over $100,000 from Idaho State University could face more than a decade in prison if convicted. Tyler Liddle, 29, a former financial technician at ISU, was charged with felony misusing public funds by a public officer or employee on Feb 28 after allegedly embezzling over $100,000 from the school over a period spanning several years. http://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/former-isu-employee-charged-with-embezzling-over/article_4db977f3-1876-55cf-bbe0-a84478e63238.html 055683E5-90DD-40BE-ABFD-B825033EBE0C Thu, 9 Mar 2017 08:44:41 -0500 Dr. Carlo Croce is among the most prolific scientists in an emerging area of cancer research involving what is sometimes called the "dark matter" of the human genome. Over the last several years, Dr. Croce has been fending off a tide of allegations of data falsification and other scientific misconduct, according to federal and state records, whistle-blower complaints and correspondence with scientific journals obtained by The New York Times. In 2013, an anonymous critic contacted Ohio State and the federal authorities with allegations of falsified data in more than 30 of Dr. Croce’s papers. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/science/cancer-carlo-croce.html?_r=0 27DA174E-412E-4643-8D45-FE0AC5F0702D Wed, 8 Mar 2017 07:57:14 -0600 Bonuses paid to executives and administrators in the University of Missouri System "may violate the Missouri Constitution," the state auditor says in a new report that details hidden bonuses, "excessive" luxury vehicle allowances -- and $100,000 in retention payments to a chancellor who resigned amid a furor, only to be rehired in a new post months later. "Administrators appear to have forgotten that the system is a public institution, and that they are accountable to taxpayers, students and families," Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway said in presenting her report on the University of Missouri System and its Board of Curators. http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/03/06/518837828/auditor-faults-university-of-missouri-system-for-handling-of-leaders-exit-bonus 5AD40902-F956-40B2-B13B-C8644A893A06 Mon, 6 Mar 2017 13:01:28 -0600 A nonprofit corporation that provides therapeutic horseback riding for children with disabilities has filed a lawsuit accusing the Rogers State University Foundation of fraud. The foundation (RSUF) is accused of scheming to manipulate Bit by Bit Therapeutic Riding Center into agreeing to raise $1.3 million for land previously donated to the university for Bit by Bit's benefit. The defendants are the foundation and the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, which governs both OU and RSU. http://newsok.com/article/5540336 E908D38F-81CF-4C11-BCF3-E39B99921351 Mon, 6 Mar 2017 16:07:04 -0600 The dean of students at Sullivan County Community College has been arrested and charged with stealing over $9,000 from the Loch Sheldrake school. State police alleged that John Agnelli, 42, of Loch Sheldrake, had made charges for personal expenses on a college credit card. http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2017/March/06/Agnelli_arr-06Mar17.htm 20AFD04B-A529-4DE0-901C-6C42D4C666C1 Mon, 6 Mar 2017 15:54:24 -0600 A former New York community college basketball coach accused of scheming to get star players into NCAA Division I schools with forged transcripts has pleaded guilty. District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino Jr. says Tyrone Mushatt has admitted providing St. John's University with a forged transcript for a Westchester Community College player. Mushatt also admitted that he conspired to possess and turn over 10 forged WCC transcripts of six players to St. John's, Quinnipiac University, Concordia College and Florida A&M University http://mountpleasant.dailyvoice.com/police-fire/former-wcc-basketball-coach-pleads-guilty-to-forging-10-transcripts/701575/ 8D466608-6C93-4F05-93F1-AD4CDAF5ACB2 Tue, 28 Feb 2017 08:21:28 -0600 A radio station engineer at the College of DuPage whose theft arrest was the first in a series of allegations of campus financial impropriety pleaded guilty Tuesday to theft over $100,000 from a school. Authorities said John J. Valenta fraudulently billed the college for $400,000 in parts for the radio station that were never installed. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/cod/ct-college-of-dupage-radio-station-theft-plea-met-20170228-story.html FA4D6C10-DCD0-458C-95DF-C22B7847D2A6 Tue, 28 Feb 2017 08:19:36 -0600 The former Assistant Director of Operations for the Nebraska Transportation Center has been charged with stealing more than $11,000 from the University of Nebraska. The Nebraska Transportation Center connects University of Nebraska researchers, industry leaders, and government entities. Court documents reveal Laviania Thandayithabani is accused of stealing $11,335.73. The investigation determined Thandayithabani bypassed approval processes and paid for plane tickets using University funds. http://www.1011now.com/content/news/Nebraska-Transportation-Center-director-arrested-for-stealing-from-University-414618123.html A9348F44-C2DD-4F00-951C-36026333795A Thu, 23 Feb 2017 11:34:21 -0600 Two former Texas Southern University employees are accused of stealing more than $500,000 from the Houston college, according to authorities. Kennith Darden Jr. and Ashley Velasquez are each charged with felony aggregate theft after prosecutors say they worked together to squirrel away $534,379.71 stolen from the school in a little under two years, a Harris County District Attorney's Office spokesman confirmed Monday night. Authorities say the scheme started in January 2012, when Darden allegedly began submitting fake invoices through a shell company - and Velasquez, a senior administrative assistant, approved the fraudulent paperwork. http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Two-former-TSU-employees-accused-of-stealing-more-10930072.php 92BEAC50-8743-4542-A673-5D49E8A28E8C Mon, 13 Feb 2017 08:18:33 -0600 A pharmacology professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine will no longer conduct research there after eight of his articles were retracted by a major scientific journal for inaccuracies. The publisher of the Journal of Biological Chemistry retracted six articles written by Anil K. Jaiswal in early January, said Kaoru Sakabe, data integrity manager for the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which publishes the journal. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/sun-investigates/bs-hs-sun-investigates-um-research-retraction-20170211-story.html A9901EF1-4CE6-4AC3-B830-4D0D5EE9E1E1 Sat, 11 Feb 2017 08:21:00 -0600 A Galveston College instructor, who is also the director of electrical and electronic technology program at the schools, has resigned after a student alleged the instructor sent him tests and answers to those tests. Robert Shields earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston in 2011, according to his online school bio. "Very troublesome. Mr. Shields, head of the electrical electronics program voluntarily resigned," Dr. W. Myles Shelton, president of Galveston College, said. http://www.click2houston.com/news/galveston-college-professor-resigns-after-allegations-of-cheating 4FD3C2C9-7EDD-468C-AE91-BECEB4D96885 Fri, 10 Feb 2017 08:16:24 -0600 Authorities charged a former Iowa State employee with theft of over $68,000 in non-profit funds. The Story County Sheriff's Office arrested and charged Pamela Backstrom, 56, with first degree theft and ongoing criminal conduct. Backstrom is accused of taking university money from the Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation (QNDE) Programs account. She worked in the research center from August 2013 to January 2016. http://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/politics_and_administration/campus/article_8a6b0acc-eb19-11e6-bea9-bfb52a38c906.html E88C5D47-52D7-41DF-82F7-AB8C6A9FAD65 Sat, 4 Feb 2017 09:18:06 -0600 A former Essex County College track coach was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay restitution after admitting to stealing $150,000 from the school. Michael Smart, 62, of Roselle, also is barred from public employment ever again. Smart, however, is collecting an annual pension of $31,000 after retiring from the college two years ago. Prosecutors say Smart used the college team’s debit card as a personal ATM card from 2012 to 2015, often withdrawing the $700 transaction maximum several times a day. http://nj1015.com/former-coach-gets-3-years-for-stealing-150k-from-nj-college/ 14CF8052-EBAD-4FFC-B517-CD639CFE69BB Fri, 3 Feb 2017 16:32:22 -0600 The former University of Arizona professor accused of stealing more than $200,000 from the school has been sentenced. John A. Marchello, 80, was sentenced to probation for six months and ordered to pay $83,000 in restitution to the U of A. He will not have to submit to drug or alcohol testing nor will he have to complete any counseling. Authorities said from January 2013 to November 2014, Marchello stole more than $220,000 from the student-run meat market on Campbell Road in Tucson. http://www.tucsonnewsnow.com/story/33448113/former-ua-professor-sentenced-in-fraud-case F5EFEA1E-8C81-4774-98FB-404389FC4324 Mon, 23 Jan 2017 08:50:53 -0600 Former University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Chancellor Richard Wells is accused of overseeing the illegal transfer of more than $11 million in university funds to support five Oshkosh-area building projects. A lawsuit filed Wednesday in Dane County by the UW System claims Wells and Tom Sonnleitner, retired UWO vice chancellor of administrative services, made illegal financial guarantees between 2010 and 2014 to secure backing for high-profile building projects on and around the Oshkosh campus and later used university funds to support foundation projects, which is prohibited by state law. http://www.thenorthwestern.com/story/news/education/2017/01/18/lawsuit-alleges-uwo-officials-mishandled-money/96697874/ D44748E9-0A89-433C-BEAA-6285236A6100 Wed, 18 Jan 2017 07:53:47 -0600 The woman formerly in control of making "change" at University Hospital dining areas who was charged in the theft of $1.1 million was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in federal prison. Kyejuana Avery also was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Scott Coogler to pay restitution to UAB and once she has served her sentence to serve three years of release under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office. The amount of restitution was not listed in court records on Tuesday. Between 2007 and 2013 Avery was employed as a financial account representative at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Hospital Food and Nutrition Services Department, according to the plea deal. That department sells food and beverages at locations around University Hospital. http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2017/01/uab_employee_sentenced_to_pris.html#incart_river_home_pop A4D1C15D-2C7C-4576-B455-3A7DFA8E8C7E Wed, 11 Jan 2017 16:04:20 -0600 Louisville and Virginia Tech have been fined $25,000 apiece by the ACC after the conference’s review of Wake Forest’s internal investigation of leaked gameplan information. Yesterday, Louisville suspended co-offensive coordinator Lonnie Galloway, who was implicated in the Wake Forest scandal involving Demon Deacons announcer Tommy Elrod handing pertinent strategic information over to opposing teams. http://www.si.com/college-football/2016/12/17/louisville-virginia-tech-wakeyleaks-fined A4D12136-62A9-4D19-9940-2BA7E94D5E61 Sat, 17 Dec 2016 08:58:29 -0600 A state audit of the University of Louisville Foundation found a president with too much unchecked power, numerous examples of broken bylaws and a "dysfunctional governing climate" at the school’s nonprofit. But the 59-page report released Wednesday by State Auditor Mike Harmon stopped short of making referrals for a criminal investigation. The audit report describes a nonprofit organization that was run unilaterally by then-university president James Ramsey, who kept his board of directors in the dark about financial transactions and the bylaws governing them. Shortly after the investigation began, Harmon said, the foundation withheld public records and information and questioned Harmon’s auditors when they sought spending information. http://kycir.org/2016/12/14/state-audit-finds-dysfunction-rule-breaking-lack-of-transparency-at-u-of-l-foundation/ C82B70A3-EA24-4E1C-A847-5AE466A60EDC Wed, 14 Dec 2016 14:32:17 -0600 A former California State University, Northridge, director of basketball operations acted unethically when he committed academic misconduct for and provided impermissible academic benefits to a total of 10 men’s basketball student-athletes, according to a decision issued by a Division I Committee on Infractions panel. The university also failed to investigate and monitor the activities of the former director of operations. http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/former-csun-director-basketball-operations-acted-unethically 74EF553B-F3BF-4232-9993-23F703A5186A Wed, 7 Dec 2016 10:04:54 -0600 Jeffery Hix was ordered to pay Montana State University $2,200 after pleading no contest to stealing from the school’s recreational sports department. A student who worked for the MSU Recreational Sports and Fitness Department, for which Hix was the supervisor from 2006 to 2011, alerted police to discrepancies in his paychecks. An audit determined that timecards had been altered after they were in Hix’s possession, and students who refereed for both MSU and Bozeman City League Basketball, a nonprofit adult league that Hix also managed, were paid for reffing using MSU funds totaling about $10,209. http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/crime/bozeman-man-sentenced-for-stealing-from-montana-state-university/article_a65276b6-6921-52c2-af85-39601a8c85f8.html FCD0163B-EA18-4F22-8EF0-C42F04E1363F Mon, 28 Nov 2016 16:17:01 -0600 The University of Missouri is investigating a former tutor's allegations of academic fraud in the athletic department less than a year after the school sanctioned its men's basketball team for violating NCAA rules. The university announced the investigation Tuesday evening, hours after former tutor Yolanda Kumar wrote on her private Facebook account that she took entrance exams and completed entire courses for athletes at the school. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-university-of-missouri-tutor-athletes-20161123-story.html BC685DED-401E-4380-8357-B207B898CD67 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 08:42:44 -0600 An award-winning Marshall University professor, the president of a highway contracting business and two former West Virginia Division of Highways engineers were charged Wednesday in a kickback scheme involving companies in Putnam County and South Carolina. Federal prosecutors allege that the men illegally diverted $1.5 million worth of Division of Highways projects to Dennis Corp., a South Carolina engineering consulting firm. DOH engineers received $200,000 in bribes between 2008 and 2013, according to the charges. "It’s pay-to-play corruption within the Division of Highways," said Bill Ihlenfeld, U.S. Attorney for West Virginia’s Northern District. "This work was not bid out competitively; it was rigged so this corporation would receive these projects." http://www.wvgazettemail.com/news-cops-and-courts/20161116/marshall-professor-putnam-contractor-ex-doh-engineers-charged-in-alleged-kickback-scheme 271893FE-BF86-4822-94FC-71E6977C4C25 Wed, 16 Nov 2016 08:28:49 -0600 A St. Louis woman faces charges of embezzling nearly $400,000 from her employer, Webster University. The money was earmarked for a joint educational venture between Webster and a Chinese government cultural agency. Deborah Pierce, 61, was director of the Confucius Institute at Webster University and was entrusted with the oversight of the institute’s funding, which came mainly from the school and the People’s Republic of China. According to the indictment, Pierce established a separate, unauthorized bank account which she alone controlled. Over a nearly three-year period, she directed $380,000 to her private account. If convicted of mail fraud, Pierce faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2016/11/16/webster-university-employee-faces-embezzlement-charges/ 2DAC8D95-E665-487A-B985-81677FC7B2D4 Wed, 16 Nov 2016 08:26:04 -0600 The Oberlin College Board of Trustees, after extensive consideration and a comprehensive review of recommendations from multiple faculty committees and Oberlin President Marvin Krislov, has voted to dismiss Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Composition Joy D. Karega for failing to meet the academic standards that Oberlin requires of its faculty and failing to demonstrate intellectual honesty. http://news.oberlin.edu/articles/board-trustees-statement-assistant-professor-joy-karega/#.WCu2FnDa_KN.twitter DEDB4250-CEF9-4BFD-A37C-2D669148BC43 Wed, 16 Nov 2016 08:58:33 -0600 The Community College System of NH lost $130,000 in a money-transfer fraud earlier this month. According to the CCSNH, a scammer posed as a construction contractor who receives ongoing payments by paper check. The scammer requested to transition to an electronic method of payment. Shannon Reid, a spokesperson with the Community Colleges says the documentation appeared authentic, and the community college system obliged. http://nhpr.org/post/nhs-community-college-system-loses-130k-wire-fraud C4A8B34C-C445-4938-BA79-76F44BA11C56 Tue, 1 Nov 2016 10:03:14 -0500 There’s only one way to describe what’s happened at the University of New Mexico. Bizarre. From his office in western New Mexico, Dr. Christopher Dyer heads up UNM’s Gallup campus. When he’s not presiding over students and faculty Dr. Dyer traipses through the outback investigating legendary creatures. In February, Dyer organized a two-day, on-campus Bigfoot conference, "Bigfoot in New Mexico: Evidence, Ecology, and Behavior." The guest speakers were billed as "renowned expert" Dr. Jeff Meldrum and "New Mexico naturalist" Rob Kryder. UNM shelled out thousands of dollars for advertising, meals for the guest speakers, airfare, hotels and per diem. http://krqe.com/2016/10/31/taxpayers-on-the-hook-for-unm-bigfoot-expedition/ 4433ACF3-8D83-477E-878D-F3E2DC7A4346 Mon, 31 Oct 2016 14:08:43 -0500 A University of Colorado fundraising employee resigned last week after being arrested on suspicion of theft and forgery because police allege she created fake receipts to cover more than $18,000 worth of personal child care costs at her previous job at Colorado State University. Jamie Alexander, 41, was booked into the Larimer County Jail Oct. 5, the same day she resigned from her post as executive director of business operations and finance for the CU Office of Advancement on the Boulder campus. She is free on $2,500 bond. http://www.denverpost.com/2016/10/11/cu-fundraising-employee-quits-following-allegations-of-child-care-fraud-at-csu/ EDFDE0B1-ED60-4AD4-AB4A-8CEF5958032A Tue, 11 Oct 2016 15:37:55 -0500 Iowa State University President Steven Leath said he will be more cautious about mixing personal and official business after facing criticism over his use of university airplanes and a $1.1 million private land deal with his boss. Leath told the university's student government Wednesday night that he misjudged how both issues would be perceived by the public and that "I've learned my lesson." A pilot, Leath has been under fire after The Associated Press revealed that he damaged a university plane in a hard landing on his way home from a vacation in North Carolina last year. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/iowa-state-president-learned-lesson-plane-42617537 D5FD42D8-8BB4-4FEF-8838-7D25FAACCA7F Thu, 6 Oct 2016 10:48:51 -0500 A university employee was sentenced Wednesday for fraud in connection with over $40,000 in federal student loans. Authorities said Ashely Ciampa, 28, of Medford, was sentenced to two years of probation and six months of home detention after she pleaded guilty to student loan fraud. Ciampa was working in the registrar’s office at Suffolk University when she enrolled in the university’s MBA program in 2013. She failed to attend her business ethics class or complete coursework, but used her computer access in the registrar’s office to assign herself an "A" for the course. http://www.wcvb.com/news/suffolk-university-employee-sentenced-for-stealing-40000-in-student-loans/41979422 7CB2B799-613A-4ED6-B5D2-7EDF122BE0F2 Wed, 5 Oct 2016 08:12:08 -0500 A North Carolina concert promoter pleaded guilty Tuesday to defrauding the University of Hawaii of $200,000 by promising to secure Stevie Wonder for an athletics department fundraising concert that never happened. Marc Hubbard pleaded guilty to wire fraud in federal court in Honolulu, saying he lied about his ability to secure Wonder for a concert. The university paid the $200,000 deposit in 2012 then began selling tickets before learning that neither Wonder nor his representatives had authorized a show. http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/promoter-pleads-guilty-in-university-concert-scam-in-hawaii/ 290FED12-BE1D-4A19-BB15-035374DAFBDA Tue, 4 Oct 2016 07:45:18 -0500 On Tuesday, September 28, 2016, a Richmond County Grand Jury charged Roman Cibirka with two felony counts of theft by taking. The Board of Regents received an anonymous hotline complaint in May 2013, containing allegations of malfeasance and a conflict of interest concerning Cibirka. Georgia Regents University Office of Internal Audit investigated the allegations and Cibirka’s relationship with a vendor, Barbara Raybourne. Raybourne was the president of Coastal Carolinas Marketing, a North Carolina based marketing firm which Cibirka had engaged to do work for the university. http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/associated_press/news/state/former-vice-provost-of-georgia-regents-university-charged-with-theft/article_d5a8bbec-871e-11e6-9afd-77c88d555d68.html 4252B43C-DDDF-45A8-A3F4-63FF66B72DCA Fri, 30 Sep 2016 10:16:37 -0500 Federal charges are expected to be announced today against the SUNY Polytechnic Institute president, Alain Kaloyeros, and former aides to Gov. Andrew Cuomo in connection with an alleged bribery scheme involving Cuomo's signature economic development plan, known as the Buffalo Billion. The charges stem from "two overlapping criminal schemes involving bribery, corruption, and fraud in the award of hundreds of millions of dollars in State contracts and other State benefits," according to the complaint. http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2016/09/22/reports-former-cuomo-aides-and-kaloyeros-expected.html E4B0B8B4-6155-46D4-87E4-83984225162A Thu, 22 Sep 2016 09:20:44 -0500 A former Virginia Tech employee is being investigated for embezzling money from the university's Foundation and the Virginia Flower Growers Association over a number of years, according to a search warrant. The investigation involves at least $127,000, Montgomery County Commonwealth's Attorney Mary Pettitt wrote in an email this week. Pettitt said she expects charges to be filed. Maura Martin Wood, 46, of Christiansburg, is named in the search warrant, which includes information that investigators are tracking a period from Sept. 26, 2008, through earlier this year. http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/blacksburg/embezzlement-investigation-concerns-funds-of-tech-foundation-state-flower-growers/article_f00c5614-6ac4-5764-aa32-98d7565a5c53.html C6821866-131A-4494-980B-4E8D68003CA5 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 16:13:37 -0500 Syracuse University removed the dean of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management after he was arrested for patronizing a prostitute in the town of Salina. Kenneth Kavajecz, 51, of West Jefferson Street, Syracuse, was removed as dean Wednesday and placed on administrative leave from his faculty position "until further notice," Vice Chancellor and Provost Michele Wheatly announced. http://www.syracuse.com/crime/index.ssf/2016/09/syracuse_university_fired_whitman_dean_ken_kavajecz_after_prostitution_arrest.html DC4AC980-65F5-4785-9C26-C0126ADF9CAA Fri, 16 Sep 2016 13:33:50 -0500 In September 2010, UNC-Chapel Hill was embroiled in its worst athletic scandal in 50 years when one of its lawyers placed a call to Swahili instructor Alphonse Mutima. He said he didn’t teach the class. As it would turn out, the class was fake, one of 186 bogus classes created by a clerical employee and avid Tar Heel basketball fan named Deborah Crowder. This story has unfolded slowly for six years. Now, as the NCAA’s latest enforcement case nears its end, The N&O has reviewed the newly released correspondence, looking for clues about why it took so long for one of the country’s top public universities to discover the full scope of its corrosive shadow curriculum. http://www.newsobserver.com/news/special-reports/carolinas-blind-side/article101978907.html#storylink=cpy C631DC59-1C95-4ED3-800F-C69E039DF194 Fri, 16 Sep 2016 13:12:43 -0500 Gov. Nikki Haley’s appointee to the Medical University of South Carolina Board of Trustees has agreed to repay more than $20,000 he was reimbursed for pricey meals, expensive bottles of wine and luxury hotel rooms. In a recent investigation, The Post and Courier found the MUSC Board of Trustees spent about $560,000 since 2011, largely on hotel rooms and food. The State Commission on Higher Education also called on the state’s inspector general to audit the spending practices of the governing boards of the University of South Carolina and Clemson University. Those boards combined spent more than $1 million during the same time frame. http://www.postandcourier.com/20160912/160919808/gov-nikki-haley-musc-board-members-should-repay-expenses EA809E45-3D57-4D52-979C-9E4B02892A24 Mon, 12 Sep 2016 08:08:28 -0500 The University of Colorado Board of Regents took the rare step on Thursday of revoking the Ph.D. of a pharmaceutical researcher whom colleagues had once described as a "golden boy." A CU investigation found 22 instances of falsification in Rajendra Kadam’s doctoral thesis, according to a board document approving the revocation. A report on the investigation, obtained by the website Retraction Watch, recommended that 10 of Kadam’s published papers also be retracted. Some of those papers, which were published between 2010 and 2013, had been used to win grants from the federal government. http://www.denverpost.com/2016/09/08/university-of-colorado-revokes-phd-pharmaceutical-researcher-falsifying-data/ 09AFB72A-8DC1-49AD-A8B5-4B6AC0BD2C1F Thu, 8 Sep 2016 09:11:51 -0500 Last month, a U.S. district court unsealed a whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former colleague of biologist Erin Potts-Kant. It accuses the researcher, her former supervisor, and the university of including fraudulent data in applications and reports involving more than 60 grants worth some $200 million. If successful, the suit -- brought under the federal False Claims Act (FCA) --could force Duke to return to the government up to three times the amount of any ill-gotten funds, and produce a multimillion-dollar payout to the whistleblower. The Duke case "should scare all [academic] institutions around the country," says attorney Joel Androphy of Berg & Androphy in Houston, Texas, who specializes in false claims litigation. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/09/whistleblower-sues-duke-claims-doctored-data-helped-win-200-million-grants CBAFB10E-BE3B-496F-99A9-B86B532A05EF Thu, 1 Sep 2016 10:33:24 -0500 The leader of the University of Virginia’s governing board told lawmakers Friday that he does not foresee major tuition increases in the near future and indicated that the school is open to discussions about making room for more students from within the state. The remarks from William Goodwin Jr., U-Va.’s rector, came at a legislative hearing called to scrutinize a controversial $2.2 billion investment fund that the university created this year from operating reserves amassed during the past decade. Some Virginia lawmakers had demanded to know the source of the money, why they had been unaware of such a huge sum, and why the university had been raising tuition in recent years. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/08/26/a-debate-over-u-va-s-investment-fund-and-the-universitys-role-in-virginia/?utm_campaign=Issue%3A%202016-08-30%20Higher%20Ed%20Education%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue%3A7074%5D&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Sailthru A7F1A7CA-B206-441B-88CF-7C16DC06046B Thu, 1 Sep 2016 08:28:50 -0500 The City University of New York is investigating whether a recent $500,000 donation intended to bolster the humanities and arts at its flagship school may have been improperly diverted. The inquiry was prompted by senior faculty members at the school, the City College of New York, who learned that an account that should have contained roughly $600,000, thanks to the donation, had just $76. Faculty members asked City College officials for an explanation, but were met with "silence, delay and deflection" before appealing directly to the university’s chancellor, James B. Milliken. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/31/nyregion/76-where-there-should-be-600000-missing-city-college-donation-prompts-inquiry.html?_r=0 1E75722B-E6BA-4734-9FFB-7BC13E198732 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 08:06:48 -0500 An energy consultant involved in a controversial state solar power project at two Oregon universities has been indicted on forgery charges, after an investigation prompted by The Oregonian/OregonLive's reporting. Martin Shain, the lead consultant on the state's $24 million "Solar by Degree" project, was indicted Thursday by a Marion County grand jury on two counts of first-degree forgery. Shain is accused of creating a phony invoice from a fictional subcontractor that was pivotal in getting nearly $12 million in tax credits from the Oregon Department of Energy. http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2016/08/consultant_to_university_solar.html 4B05E752-56FD-4EE3-BADA-AFACA2ACAFC3 Mon, 29 Aug 2016 08:03:32 -0500 The state university system will no longer award bonuses to the system chancellor or campus presidents, a policy change announced Thursday following criticism of a $75,000 bonus awarded this year to Chancellor Robert Caret. None of the contracts for the campus presidents include bonuses. Lawmakers questioned how the university system could grant such generous increases to its top leader while students face growing tuition bills. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-usm-hearing-20160825-story.html 237098D6-A05A-4752-9302-E1B9AB875967 Thu, 25 Aug 2016 08:09:59 -0500 The News 4 Tucson Investigators have learned that a man who taught at the U of A for nearly 50 years has pleaded guilty to stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the university. John Marchello, one of the college’s longest-serving professors, has pleaded guilty to one count of "Theft of Property or Services," which is a felony. Marchello managed the student-run meat lab on N. Campbell, which has a store that holds weekly sales to the public. Marchello was diverting meat sales revenues to his personal account. http://www.kvoa.com/story/32826764/n4t-investigators-longtime-ua-professor-pleads-guilty 1BD25B94-BBFE-45BA-817E-3716EE11EF2E Wed, 24 Aug 2016 07:46:28 -0500 The University of Kentucky Police Department has arrested a man in connection with a case in which textbooks were stolen from multiple Kentucky schools. Anthony Ryan Shields, 30, of Lexington, was arrested Saturday and charged with third-degree burglary and possession of burglar’s tools after police say they caught him in the act of selling textbooks stolen from Western Kentucky University to a Lexington bookstore. Shields was being held Saturday night in the Fayette County Detention Center. http://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article96965042.html 0EE350FD-2DF5-438C-B4C6-A5D6446943B9 Sat, 20 Aug 2016 09:00:21 -0500 University of California, Berkeley’s chancellor announced Tuesday he plans to resign as soon as the campus finds a successor. Nicholas Dirks did not give specific reasons for his resignations in his announcement to students, faculty and staff. His announcement comes after months of scandals and criticism from both students and faculty. In May 2016, Dirks spent almost $700,000 on a seven-foot tall fence around University House, the chancellor’s residence to keep out vandals. Students also criticized his decision to use $9,000 from UC Office of the President funds to build an emergency exit for his office to escape protesters. http://dailybruin.com/2016/08/17/uc-berkeley-chancellor-to-resign-amid-criticism-from-students-faculty/ BE2B738D-06F5-4CE5-B733-C2933D61A4A0 Wed, 17 Aug 2016 07:57:50 -0500 A campus security employee at Central College and his girlfriend have been arrested in connection with the theft of several items from the school. The Pella Police Department says Parker Bollhoefer, 20, and Lyndi Littrel, 18, are each charged with one count of first degree theft. The investigation began August 10th after staff at Central College notified police about several items recently stolen from the school. Among the items taken were a wedding party sheet cake, merchandise from the college Spirit Store, and a large flat screen television. http://whotv.com/2016/08/16/central-college-security-officer-girlfriend-charged-in-theft-case/ C7FC6AB0-7954-489A-83C1-9570DDAEFD31 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 08:49:09 -0500 University of Arizona President Ann Weaver Hart has called on the Arizona Board of Regents to hire a law firm to conduct an independent investigation of the university's health-sciences administration and examine allegations of misuse of public funds and alteration of public documents. http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2016/08/15/ua-president-seeks-probe-health-sciences-spending-documents/88805544/ C866B13D-978F-4684-ACEF-603F9B8E7206 Mon, 15 Aug 2016 08:19:28 -0500 The Alabama Association For Higher Education might be the most powerful force in Alabama politics that no one has ever heard of. Established and managed by current and former University of Alabama System officials including Chancellor Robert E. Witt, the association operates outside public view as a "dark money" nonprofit organization. By funneling more than $1.4 million through the group since its founding in 2014, the nonprofit UA System has been able to influence state government without illegally donating directly to political candidates or having to report its spending on campaign finance disclosures. http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2016/08/how_the_university_of_alabama.html 94704C18-0287-456D-986F-74C72E9C8634 Sun, 7 Aug 2016 13:05:41 -0500 Virginia Tech police arrested two men in connection to the theft of two Virginia Tech football helmets from Merryman Athletic Facility late last month. Eric Lugg, 20, of Loch Haven, and Joshua Villanueva, 21, of Austin, Texas, are both charged with one count of felony grand larceny and one count of breaking and entering. http://wsls.com/2016/08/05/police-two-arrested-for-stealing-virginia-tech-helmets/ 476018C0-31C3-4DB8-96E0-43969CBC5563 Fri, 5 Aug 2016 15:28:56 -0500 As many as 90 University of Washington students from China may have been defrauded of up to $1 million in tuition money, UW Police Department investigators said Monday. The Chinese students, all studying at the UW in Seattle this summer, were told they could save 5 percent -- about $600 -- off the $11,340 cost of summer tuition by paying an intermediary, said UW Police investigator Lt. Doug Schulz. In an interview Monday, several students said a UW student from China who was well-known in the community spread word of the deal through a popular Chinese social-media app called WeChat. Because the student was active in UW student clubs for a number of years, she was widely trusted, said George Zhou, a sophomore math major. http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/tuition-scam-takes-up-to-1-million-from-uw-students/ 917218E0-AB33-420B-9BD0-7F8C1B5E717B Tue, 2 Aug 2016 08:03:14 -0500 During her tenure as UC Davis chancellor, Linda P.B. Katehi has flown first class, hired tour guides, taken limousines and made numerous expensive travel changes that were billed to the University of California, according to documents obtained by The Sacramento Bee. Katehi’s international trips alone cost the university more than $174,000, according to records. Because Katehi was often accompanied by her husband and other university staff members, who filed separate expense reports, the cost was actually much higher.It is unclear whether her travel paid off for the university. UC Davis spokeswoman Dana Topousis said there is no reliable way to track the donations generated from these trips. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article93386252.html DB2F07A3-28DE-4F16-B161-0C7AC0C44360 Mon, 1 Aug 2016 07:59:08 -0500 St. John's University was among the schools that received forged transcripts from the former head basketball coach of the Westchester Community College to help star players earn NCAA Division I scholarships, according to an indictment of the WCC coach Thursday. Tyrone Mushatt submitted bogus transcripts, helping at least eight players transfer to the Division 1 and other four-year schools, investigators say. http://www.lohud.com/story/news/crime/2016/07/28/wcc-basketball-coach-bogus-transcripts/87654170/ D1568D13-50D9-49A6-B83C-DCDC4B9491D0 Fri, 29 Jul 2016 09:32:54 -0500 The Justice Department said Thursday that Columbia University has agreed to pay $9.5 million to resolve allegations that it improperly charged the National Institutes of Health for facilities and administrative costs on more than 400 federal grants. Prosecutors say the Ivy League school inflated the amount of money owed for use of facilities from July 2003 to June 2015. Universities are allowed to charge a higher rate for research conducted on campus to offset maintenance and operations expenses. Although Columbia faculty carried out federally sponsored research in buildings owned by the state of New York, entitling the school to a lower rate of reimbursement, the university applied the higher rate, according to the complaint. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/07/14/columbia-university-to-pay-9-5-million-to-settle-fraud-charges/ 8BE00A24-3E66-4A42-83CA-265ABE39997D Thu, 14 Jul 2016 16:42:35 -0500 A South Carolina attorney has pleaded guilty to defrauding a University of Alabama sorority -- her alma mater -- of hundreds of thousands of dollars in a sorority house furnishing scheme. U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance today announced 39-year-old Jennifer Elizabeth Meehan entered her plea Tuesday in federal court. Meehan, who was tasked with furnishing the University's new Gamma Phi Beta house, was arrested last year and accused of defrauding the sorority of nearly $400,000 through schemes in which Meehan submitted invoices for a sorority's furniture and equipment and received payment for them without ever actually providing the goods to the house. http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2016/07/post_296.html B2422606-3300-445E-93B1-D1DA268888F3 Wed, 13 Jul 2016 13:43:53 -0500 UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks is under university investigation for the alleged misuse of public funds for travel and the personal use of a campus athletic trainer without payment, the Los Angeles Times has learned. A whistleblower complaint alleged that Dirks had failed to pay for use of the campus Recreational Sports Facility and its professional services, and that he used public funds to pay for travel with a recreational sports employee on non-university business, according to an April 11 letter to Dirks from Rachael Nava, the University of California’s chief operating officer. http://www.latimes.com/local/education/la-me-ln-berkeley-chancellor-probe-20160712-snap-story.html BBEEFB62-337C-4292-A5E5-7DA2FB4B60FC Tue, 12 Jul 2016 08:13:15 -0500 The woman formerly in charge of making "change" at University Hospital dining areas has been charged in the theft of $1.1 million. Kyejuana Avery, 34, entered into a plea agreement Thursday with the U.S. Attorney's Office to a charge of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, according to court documents. Between 2007 and 2013 Avery was employed as a financial account representative at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Hospital Food and Nutrition Services Department, according to the plea deal. That department sells food and beverages at locations around University Hospital. http://www.al.com/news/birmingham/index.ssf/2016/07/former_uab_employee_who_manage.html 20A8E351-B0A6-4989-88F2-26291D4FD09E Thu, 7 Jul 2016 09:23:41 -0500 Two former Georgia Southern University staff members violated NCAA ethical conduct rules when they provided three football student-athletes with impermissible academic assistance, according to a decision issued by a Division I Committee on Infractions panel. A former assistant compliance director provided a student-athlete with a flash drive containing her previous work for a course in which the student-athlete was enrolled. The student-athlete later pulled an assignment from the flash drive and submitted it as his own work. When the professor discovered the work, the student-athlete and former assistant compliance director worked together to draft responses that stated the student-athlete was solely accountable. During the interview process, after initially denying the involvement of the former assistant compliance director, the student-athlete stated that the staff member provided him with the flash drive and instructed him to tell a false story. http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/former-georgia-southern-staff-members-provided-impermissible-academic-assistance 5EFE0C37-0654-461D-8BA7-33A6297A44D2 Thu, 7 Jul 2016 08:42:28 -0500 Three former Georgia Tech employees face fraud charges after allegedly spending $250,000 of university funds on personal items, including upgrades to a private hunting lodge. All three were employed in Georgia Tech’s Advanced Concepts Laboratory, servicing clients like the Department of Defense and various intelligence agencies. As part of this job, Fraley had access to a Georgia Tech procurement card, or "PCard", for making university-related purchases. http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/32376547/former-georgia-tech-employees-charged-with-fraud 38E0CE1E-679A-49BF-99C1-8B0874DC420E Tue, 5 Jul 2016 15:34:58 -0500 In a case that has raised concern about the University of South Florida's hiring practices, the school has fired a high-profile director who managed to sail through the vetting process in 2013 despite serious marks on his job record. The university announced Thursday it has removed Samuel Bradley as director of its Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications for trying to conceal an investigation into his inappropriate relations with students while in his previous job at Texas Tech University. http://web.tampabay.com/news/education/college/usf-fires-top-administrator-who-was-hired-despite-serious-lapses-at/2283758 E4D56B7C-5555-492D-B102-BC8D25433E63 Thu, 30 Jun 2016 09:47:52 -0500 The University of Missouri has agreed to pay the federal government $2.2 million to settle a claim that physicians with MU Health Care committed fraud. The health care program allegedly violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims for radiology services to federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and maintaining that radiology images had been reviewed by physicians. "In fact, they had not reviewed those images," Tammy Dickinson, U.S. attorney for the Western District, said in a statement Thursday. http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article87003547.html 4A0B96E5-B560-4774-A495-DD174A26E90A Thu, 30 Jun 2016 13:56:35 -0500 A Suffolk University employee pleads guilty in U.S. District Court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining more than $40,000 in federal student loan funds by falsifying her own records to make it appear that she was a Suffolk University graduate student when she was not. In 2009, Ciampa began working in the Registrar's Office at Suffolk University. In 2013, she enrolled in Suffolk's MBA program free of charge as an employee. In a first semester business ethics class, Ciampa failed to attend any of the classes or complete the required coursework. Rather, she used her compute access in the Registrar's Office to give herself an "A" grade for the course. She continued to do this for subsequent classes, and by maintaining the appearance that she was a graduate student, she was able to borrow $47,453 in federal student loans beginning in 2014. Ciampa spend that money on vacations and other personal expenses. http://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Former-Suffolk-University-Employee-Pleads-Guilty-to-Stealing-Over-40000-in-Student-Loans-383708071.html 87FD7B5D-C01D-406E-955D-58FEB7738A79 Tue, 21 Jun 2016 11:09:09 -0500 The University of Iowa on Saturday joined the dishonorable list of higher education intuitions sanctioned by the American Association of University Professors for its Board of Regents’ disregard of faculty opinion in hiring a new UI president. Delegates at the AAUP’s 102nd meeting -- including three UI professors representing the association’s local chapter -- voted unanimously to sanction the institution "for substantial non-compliance with standards of academic government" in its selection of businessman Bruce Harreld as the University of Iowa’s 21st president. http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/higher-education/university-of-iowa-sanctioned-for-presidential-search-20160618 75F4ED0F-9A58-4AEC-9645-F2131C9BCC35 Sun, 19 Jun 2016 09:46:04 -0500 University of Louisville President James Ramsey will step down and the school’s governing board will be reorganized under a leadership shake-up that Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) announced Friday. The university has come under scrutiny and criticism as it faces multiple investigations. The NCAA and a local grand jury are investigating allegations that a former basketball coach paid to bring in prostitutes for players and recruits at an on-campus residence hall, and the FBI is investigating three senior university officials for alleged misappropriations of funds. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/06/17/university-of-louisville-president-steps-down-board-is-reorganized-amid-controversies/ 3EF2E3F2-6516-442F-9EC8-B44D02725216 Fri, 17 Jun 2016 09:45:03 -0500 A cheating conspiracy at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine has 85 students facing discipline that could range from a warning to dismissal from the college, which was ranked fifth among the nation’s 28 vet schools last year by U.S. News and World Report. An investigation was launched in February after someone alleged that students had worked out a way to share answers on online take-home tests, according to university officials. There are about 650 students in Ohio State’s four-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/06/07/85-osu-veterinary-students-accused-of-cheating.html# 4095F333-5792-4B8D-A5D0-91A924DA17D9 Tue, 7 Jun 2016 08:57:15 -0500 Poor purchasing oversight in Columbia and a superintendent indifferent to mounting deficits allowed a University of Missouri employee to embezzle more than $740,000 over 15 years while working as an office assistant at the Southwest Research Center in Mount Vernon, an internal MU audit found. Carla Rathmann, 54, of Mount Vernon, pleaded guilty Monday to mail fraud and credit-card fraud in federal court in Springfield and agreed to repay $716,665. The internal MU audit found Rathmann had submitted $573,048 in false invoices, made $159,321 in improper purchases on her university-issued credit card and withdrew $11,475 from a bank account that should have been closed years ago. http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/crime/audit-finds-weak-oversight-led-to-embezzlement-from-university-of/article_b309c792-3631-5954-baba-e2e19acbcf02.html 7E7A072F-D5A5-43E6-AD28-859E5236D7C3 Tue, 7 Jun 2016 15:45:31 -0500 A former University of Miami finance director embezzled $2.3 million from the college by falsifying bills for a bogus vendor and depositing the ill-gotten payments into the bank account of a fabricated business she had set up to hide the income, authorities said. Kimberly Jean Miller, 58, who worked as the finance director of the UM Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, pleaded guilty to four counts of tax evasion on Tuesday in Miami federal court. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article79832882.html 332D84EF-9EC8-48AB-99E6-816BA0EB730A Wed, 25 May 2016 11:38:15 -0500 The University of Iowa says it is investigating whether more than 30 students cheated in online classes by having others take exams for them. The school said Friday that it is reviewing each case of possible academic misconduct and will take disciplinary action against any students who are guilty. The issue came to light after potential irregularities were identified by ProctorU, a company the university uses to provide identity verification for online courses. ProctorU said that discrepancies in identification were provided by test-takers in one or more exams and in some cases, in multiple courses. http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/de451283ebda46c1b1828da985c573bc/IA--Online-Courses-Cheating 3A5BEE9C-7EB3-4BF4-B324-99DBAA362738 Fri, 20 May 2016 09:02:30 -0500 A University of Tennessee freshman has been charged with eight counts of felony theft after police discovered more than 100 laptops, cameras, laboratory devices and other stolen items -- valued at more than $100,000 -- in his dorm room, officials said. Yibo "David" Hwang, 20, of Hermitage, Tenn. was arrested Friday after another student reported seeing someone who fit the description of a person who may have stolen items from the Science Engineering and Research Building the week before, according to a UT news release Tuesday. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/crime-courts/police-ut-freshman-charged-after-100-plus-stolen-items-found-in-dorm-327ca0a7-2e34-4623-e053-0100007-378779281.html 65F506C9-1E0A-4286-97F2-39FCF2DC90F4 Tue, 10 May 2016 11:26:09 -0500 A senior lecturer at Indiana University has been fired after being accused of sexually assaulting a student on-campus in late March. IU officials announced Monday that Guo Ping Wang, a senior lecturer at the Jacobs School of Music, has been terminated. Officials said the assault was reported to the university on March 28, and Wang was placed on leave while the university investigated the claim. http://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2016/05/09/iu-fires-professior-accused-sexual-assault/84135976/ 629BA483-258D-4776-B5B9-75072FE8A756 Mon, 9 May 2016 08:32:15 -0500 An internal audit at the University of New Mexico discovered a former men’s basketball director of operations made more than $60,000 in purchases and cash withdrawals for non-business purposes. UNM officials on Friday released the 42-page audit investigating Cody Hopkins’ use of a UNM Purchase Card, stating he violated the university’s fraudulent and dishonest activities policy. Hopkins also falsified documents about the transactions, according to the audit. The UNM audit states Hopkins did not submit receipts for $53,984 in cash withdrawals and falsified receipts for other cash advances of $3,600. Another $5,834 in P-Card charges was used for personal lodging, airfare, rental cars, means and entertainment for non-business reasons, the audit states. http://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/unm-internal-audit-basketball-operations-director-cody-hopkins/4129836/#.VzCM975JfhX 3B976367-1315-4932-ABA0-E42C268D1019 Fri, 6 May 2016 08:13:48 -0500 A doctor on the University of California’s Board of Regents has been allowed to keep his seat despite a secret investigation that concluded he violated ethics rules by trying to strike a financially beneficial deal between his eye clinics and UCLA, part of the university system the regents oversee. Dr. William De La Peña also engaged in discussions about a prominent eye center affiliation involving UCLA even after recusing himself, an investigation found. At the time, he was chairman of the regents’ health services committee. https://www.propublica.org/article/university-of-california-regent-violated-ethics-rules-review-finds DF8F6ACF-9C58-445D-8D15-6114134E6745 Mon, 2 May 2016 07:51:26 -0500 Citing "serious questions" about whether UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi violated policies on employment of her family members and the use of contracts to remove negative information from the Internet, UC President Janet Napolitano placed Katehi on leave Wednesday night pending the outcome of "a rigorous and transparent investigation." Napolitano said she would appoint an independent investigator to compile a report before the start of the next academic year and that UC Davis Provost Ralph Hexter would fill the chancellor’s post on an acting basis. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/education/article74181532.html C590FE2C-34DC-48C6-88D8-C62B62C248DF Wed, 27 Apr 2016 08:10:55 -0500 A Pennsylvania man who allegedly schemed with former officials at Caldwell University was charged Thursday with plotting to defraud a program that funded the education of veterans who served in the armed forces following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. According to a criminal complaint, the fraud involved tricking veterans into thinking they had enrolled in accredited university classes when they actually were taking courses developed and taught by an online correspondence school. David Alvey, 49, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Fishman's office said. Alvey is the first individual to be charged in the alleged scheme, Fishman's office said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2016/04/caldwell_university_linked_to_man_charged_in_35m_f.html 6002298C-7725-4ADE-995D-6F6D31903C7E Fri, 22 Apr 2016 08:00:31 -0500 Essex County College's president has been removed from her position amid a mysterious probe into alleged misuse of the school's resources, officials have revealed. Dr. Gale Gibson received a letter from the college's Board of Trustees Friday advising her she had been suspended while the board discussed the unspecified accusations, according to her attorney Alan Zegas. Gibson, who is currently on vacation outside the country, will continue to earn her approximately $295,000 annual salary. Details of the allegations that led to her removal, however, remain shrouded in secrecy. http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2016/03/essex_county_college_president_suspended_amid_fina.html E75C4BD1-7252-444B-BBD0-2B33A7D58E44 Tue, 29 Mar 2016 16:16:32 -0500 The University of South Florida placed on administrative leave the director of its communications school Wednesday when it learned he was demoted at his last job after having affairs with three students and an inappropriately close friendship with another. USF placed director Samuel Bradley, 42, on paid administrative leave Wednesday, one day after The Tampa Tribune submitted questions to the school about an investigation of Bradley’s relationships with students while he worked at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. The Texas Tech investigation found Bradley violated three operating policies relating to personal relationships with students, as well as the Faculty-Student Conflict of Interest provision of the faculty handbook. The university has no formal policy prohibiting relationships between faculty and students, but ruled Bradley "engaged in generally unprofessional behavior on numerous occasions that was embarrassing to Texas Tech University." The 87-page report includes interviews with more than 20 witnesses as well as intimate messages sent via email, text and social media. http://www.tbo.com/news/education/usf-official-suspended-after-student-affairs-at-old-job-revealed-20160323/ EB5FEBBB-B8EE-4FE0-A62C-6A1278B70C84 Thu, 24 Mar 2016 08:02:25 -0500 The University of Colorado nutrition expert who accepted $550,000 from Coca-Cola Co. is stepping down as executive director of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center. James Hill announced Friday that he was leaving, effective immediately, but he expects to continue researching causes of obesity. The center is federally funded but affiliated with the university. Hill, an internationally known researcher, came under fire last August when The New York Times reported that Coca-Cola helped finance the Global Energy Balance Network he headed. The soft drink giant donated $1 million to CU, a gift the university returned after the story. The network, which emphasized physical activity over calorie reduction for losing weight, announced it was shutting down late last year. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29676454/cu-nutrition-expert-who-took-coca-cola-money 9DADF4FD-21E0-4B61-8FE0-ABFF7D61DEFF Wed, 23 Mar 2016 07:59:13 -0500 The winner of recent Florida A&M student government elections has accused President Elmira Mangum and other administrators of violating his team's rights and meddling in the student election. Justin Bruno and his vice-presidential running mate, Devin Harrison, were declared winners against the slate of Victor Chrispin Jr., running for president and Pernell Mitchell II, running for vice president. But almost immediately following the election, the Chrispin-Mitchell ticket filed an appeal asking that the results be voided, claiming several violations at the Orlando campus. Bruno maintains that his team’s rights have been violated and he feels that Mangum and other administrators are unfairly taking a side in the election because of its broader implications for the president's tenure. As the new SGA president, Bruno would automatically be appointed to the FAMU Board of Trustees, succeeding Tonnette Graham. Last October, as trustees tried to oust Mangum, Graham cast the final vote to end the attempt in a 6-6 tie. Bruno asserts that Mangum supports his opponent because she feels Crispin would be her ally on the BOT. http://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2016/03/21/famu-sga-student-body-candidate-fights-for-presidency-justin-bruno-elmira-mangum/82081648/ 1B26B0E7-9634-4E0F-9FEB-CAC802508C25 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 08:29:47 -0500 A former Greenville Technical College employee pleaded no contest to embezzlement of public funds. Judge Letitia Verdin sentenced Whitney Bonita Williams to 30 months of probation. A no contest plea means the state has evidence for a trial but the defendant is not necessarily admitting guilt, Verdin said Thursday in court. Williams, a former student services coordinator at Greenville Tech, signed up her aunt and cousin for work-study jobs but they never performed the work, the Solicitor’s Office said. Authorities accused Williams of embezzling roughly $8,000 in work-study funds. Williams, 29, was originally charged with two counts of embezzlement of public funds and conspiracy to commit embezzlement, according to arrest warrants. Williams was ordered to pay restitution as part of the plea deal. http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/crime/2016/03/18/greenville-tech-embezzlement-whitney-bonita-williams/81961076/ C1182394-BEC3-4BB8-B7CA-D764F5D4277C Fri, 18 Mar 2016 09:05:53 -0500 A University of Cincinnati professor has been arrested on child porn charges. According to court papers, Holt Parker told agents that he's collected hundreds of videos and images of child pornography. He told them he traded child porn every day. Parker answered to charges in court on March 16. A federal judge ordered him held on $250,000 bond. The FBI says agents arrested Parker on charges of distribution and receipt of child pornography in Clifton on March 15. He's also charged with "destruction of property to prevent seizure", for allegedly trying to destroy a thumb drive as agents were entering his home. They say he told them he'd recently downloaded thousands of files. According to court documents, Yahoo reported that two child pornography files were emailed to another address to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children back in July of 2015. Yahoo also reported that multiple chat messages were observed, sent from the same email address, discussing trading images and videos with other users. http://local12.com/news/local/uc-professor-arrested-on-child-porn-charges 8B6A9186-61AC-4A28-9FA2-C7056E9F2C5E Tue, 15 Mar 2016 08:29:11 -0500 An assistant coach for the Cal men’s basketball team was fired Monday following an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment, UC Berkeley officials said. University investigators concluded after a months-long probe that Yann Hufnagel, who joined head coach Cuonzo Martin’s staff two years ago, had violated UC Berkeley’s antisexual harassment policy. Martin, whose team opens the NCAA Tournament on Friday as the highest seed in school history, fired his assistant after receiving the report from the Office for the Prevention of Harassment. Athletic department spokesman Wes Mallette said the investigation began in August and concluded Monday. The accuser detailed a series of interactions with Hufnagel between November 2014 and May 2015, as part of professional communications, that violated the university’s antisexual harassment policy, Mallette said. http://www.sfchronicle.com/collegesports/article/Cal-basketball-assistant-coach-fired-for-6888817.php?t=a8b249580d1210a92f&cmpid=twitter-premium 8E6CD398-CB7F-411D-A37C-2BD19CA706E9 Mon, 14 Mar 2016 09:43:25 -0500 UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi has apologized for her controversial moonlighting activities, which had prompted a call for her resignation and legislative hearings on paid outside activities by university officials. Katehi, who earns $424,360 annually as chancellor, had come under fire for accepting a $70,000-a-year position with the DeVry Education Group, a for-profit firm that offers college degrees online and on 55 campuses nationwide, including 13 in California. Katehi resigned from the DeVry seat last week after questions were raised by public interest groups and Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), who heads the budget subcommittee on education finance. McCarty met with Katehi on Thursday; he said he was "unsatisfied" with her explanation as to why she accepted the DeVry position. After the Sacramento Bee reported that day that Katehi also earned $420,000 over three years as a board member for John Wiley & Sons, a college-textbook publisher, McCarty said he decided to call for her to step down as chancellor. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-uc-davis-chancellor-20160304-story.html B71C1B24-C97D-410B-B211-189CB0637442 Sat, 5 Mar 2016 08:50:37 -0600 A 48-year-old local woman is facing unemployment compensation fraud charges after authorities say she illegally collected more than $8,000 in unemployment benefits in 2012 while working as a professor at Quinnipiac University and Goodwin College. Angela Skyers, 48, of Oxford, was charged Wednesday with first-degree defrauding a public community and unemployment compensation fraud in excess of $500, according to the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. Authorities say that Skyers fraudulently collected $8,033 in unemployment compensation from August through October of 2012 by failing to disclose teaching positions she held at Quinnipiac University and Goodwin College. http://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-oxford-unemployment-fraud-arrest-0303-2-20160302-story.html 2AFAFCB3-CEAC-43B3-8D45-C500F35BB4F1 Wed, 2 Mar 2016 08:19:06 -0600 Denver7 Investigates has learned a Sociology and Criminal Justice professor from Western State University in Gunnison is under arrest for internet luring of a child. Daniel Cress, 53, is facing four felony counts, according to court records. Cress was communicating online with an undercover agent that he believed to be a child under the age of 15, according to the Jefferson County District Attorney's office. "During the course of the investigation, Cress and the undercover investigator engaged in numerous and repeated communications including text, chat, telephone conversation, and web cam, much of which was sexually explicit," the DA's office stated. "Cress repeatedly asked the person, whom believed to be a child under the age of 15, to perform sexual acts. He also asked the purported teen to 'sneak-out' with him." http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/investigations/western-state-university-professor-daniel-cress-arrested-on-charge-of-luring-child-online EDCBBBA0-E0A0-4254-A076-201181AC6A62 Wed, 2 Mar 2016 16:05:34 -0600 A former 17-year employee of Harvard University pleaded guilty Monday to charges he used a university employee credit card to pay for $80,000 worth of personal items, according to the Middlesex District Attorney’s office. Shawn Bunn, 45, of Waltham, was charged with larceny, false entry in corporate books, and uttering of forged documents last year. He was sentenced to two years in the House of Correction (with three months to serve), and probation for 10 years, according to the DA’s office. He was also ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution to the university. The former computer lab manager was issued a university credit card so he could make purchases for the lab. University policy required that Bunn submit a receipt and explain the purchase reasoning for any item valued at more than $75. Authorities said Bunn instead billed televisions, Lego sets, iPads, a table saw, and a garbage disposal to the university. The items were found in his home by law enforcement, according to authorities. http://www.boston.com/news/2016/02/29/former-harvard-employee-pleads-guilty-stealing-from-the-university/rRW1Guz7LKlT6FK0mSWT1J/story.html EBA76C50-F45B-4CC5-912A-1759C82F4EED Mon, 29 Feb 2016 07:57:30 -0600 Federal authorities in New York arrested a Washington State University associate professor on several fraud charges. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York, Dr. Haifan Wen, 41, of Pullman, was charged with "conspiring to and making false material statements to federal agencies, perpetrating a wire fraud scheme, and conspiracy to engage in financial transactions with the proceeds of the false statement and wire fraud schemes." The U.S. Attorney’s news release stated Wen "engaged in a scheme to defraud the federal government of federal research funds that were awarded to companies controlled by the defendants." "As charged, the defendants took money intended to foster innovative research by small businesses, and instead used for their own personal use," said U.S. Attorney William Hochul, Jr. The charges state the three suspects allegedly received approximately 30 grants worth about $8 million dollars. Wen faces up to 30 years in prison. http://www.krem.com/news/local/whitman-county/feds-arrest-wsu-professor-for-fraud/56584896 BDD99646-9A65-478A-BF07-A01F41FB3661 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 08:50:14 -0600 U.S. Marshals and Florence police have caught up to a man wanted in a recent burglary at Heritage Christian University. The university reported the burglary on Feb. 11. Florence police say someone broke into a campus office and stole several credit cards. Police identified the suspect as Chris Kilpatrick. He had previously worked for the university in the maintenance department. It was learned that the stolen cards were used in Killen, Adamsville and Savannah, Tennessee. Florence Detective Wesley Gargis obtained a video of the transactions. The Lauderdale County Jail lists Kilpatrick's charges as third-degree burglary, first- and third-degree theft of property and three counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle. These charges carried a $16,500 bond. http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/02/former_employee_accused_of_ste.html 1E0591CE-DA15-4890-AE16-7F72CD12E339 Wed, 24 Feb 2016 07:53:10 -0600 A former Grand Valley State University office employee has admitted to embezzling from the university. Authorities alleged Lynnea MacGeorge, 44, embezzled more than $76,000 from the university between 2012 and 2015 while she worked in Athletic and Recreation Facilities Management. She was responsible for making deposits for the recreation center. MacGeorge, who resigned in June amid a criminal investigation, pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of embezzlement by an agent or trustee of $20,000 or more, according to court records. The felony is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2016/02/plea.html D24C9EB1-0647-4902-AB18-14FC0DFECA8B Mon, 15 Feb 2016 08:21:31 -0600 A McKinney woman has pleaded guilty to federal theft charges related to a university embezzlement scheme, the U.S. Attorney’s office announced this week. According to information presented in court, from December 2014 to April 13, 2015, Heather Elizabeth Mercado, 42, was employed by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas as director of talent acquisition with the Human Resources Department. Mercado also controlled and operated a company, Alliance Consulting Partners (ACP), purportedly in the business of hospital staffing. Mercado devised and executed a scheme in which she represented to UT Southwestern Medical Center that ACP recruited nurses and other personnel to work at UT Southwestern, thereby leading to fraudulent invoices causing UT Southwestern Medical Center to pay ACP more than $483,000, according to authorities. http://starlocalmedia.com/mckinneycouriergazette/news/mckinney-woman-pleads-guilty-in-university-embezzlement-scheme/article_f3c57256-cc60-11e5-8071-fb52a790a7e3.html C74EED1C-CCD2-428D-9426-020EB145239B Fri, 5 Feb 2016 07:43:27 -0600 Dr. Homayoun Karimabadi, a former research professor at the University of California, San Diego ("UCSD") and the Chief Executive Officer for SciberQuest, Inc., was charged in federal court today with fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in government grants and contracts. Dr. Karimabadi and SciberQuest, Inc., the corporation run by Dr. Karimabadi, both waived indictment and were arraigned on an information charging them with felony wire fraud and criminal forfeiture. According to court records, during the fraud Dr. Karimabadi was the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer at SciberQuest and at the same time was employed as a research professor at UCSD where, among other things, he served as the group leader of the space physics plasma simulation group. http://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/former-ucsd-professor-admits-fraud-agrees-forfeit-180000 CD996BBF-B00A-486A-93B0-94BDA7242E4D Wed, 20 Jan 2016 10:24:51 -0600 A study by the University of Maryland touting the benefits of a small company's chocolate milk is raising concerns about the potential conflicts-of-interest that can arise when food makers collaborate with schools on such efforts. Late last month, the university fired off a press release declaring that a preliminary study showed that Fifth Quarter Fresh's milk helped improve the cognitive and motor functions of high school football players, even after suffering concussions. The announcement raised red flags because the details of the full study were not made available. Now, the University of Maryland says it is launching a review into the release of the preliminary results and distancing itself from the press release. http://bigstory.ap.org/article/900154652694462593f9a076137e184c/university-reviewing-study-touting-companys-chocolate-milk 4FF7A6E0-270B-4F84-80A2-E9855EFD1989 Thu, 14 Jan 2016 08:39:33 -0600 A former University of Louisiana at Lafayette assistant football coach violated NCAA rules by arranging fraudulent college entrance exam scores for five prospects and then denying his involvement, according to a decision issued by a Division I Committee on Infractions panel. The former assistant coach also failed to cooperate in the investigation. The panel accepted penalties self-imposed by the university, including scholarship reductions, recruiting restrictions and a vacation of football records. Additional penalties include two years of probation, a $5,000 fine, additional recruiting restrictions and an eight-year show-cause order for the former assistant coach. http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/former-louisiana-lafayette-coach-arranged-fraudulent-test-scores-acted-unethically-0 05938062-B1C9-4779-9125-244805DCAF4C Tue, 12 Jan 2016 08:06:38 -0600 An LSU professor accused of forging multiple students’ signatures to collect reimbursement from fake travel vouchers and accused of other instances of fraud, valued altogether at $16,478, was arrested Friday on a total of 98 counts of fraud and misappropriation of funds. Todd Finley Shupe, 45, of Baton Rouge, who teaches graduate-level courses on treated wood recycling and advanced wood science, works in the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center at the LSU AgCenter, where he directs the LSU Wood Durability Lab. http://theadvocate.com/news/police/14517300-123/lsu-professor-arrested-accused-of-fraud E1CD5538-997B-4C7B-80AB-C636C833F3DF Fri, 8 Jan 2016 08:45:12 -0600 Florida Atlantic University announced Wednesday it was taking steps to remove controversial communications Prof. James Tracy after his repeated claims that the shooting that left 26 people dead in Newtown, Conn., was a hoax. Tracy reportedly was harassing Lenny and Veronique Pozner, claiming their slain son, Noah, never existed, according to the couple. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/professor-fired-harassing-parents-sandy-hook-victim-article-1.2468239 08A9C5A4-5169-4135-9687-19BF21EC1CBB Wed, 16 Dec 2015 11:18:34 -0600 The University of Louisville placed two top officials on leave Wednesday - the day after The Courier-Journal reported they were under investigation by the FBI. In an email Wednesday to colleagues, President James Ramsey announced that Dr. David Dunn, executive vice president for health affairs, and Priscilla Hancock, the university's chief information officer, will be on leave effective immediately. Citing sources, the CJ reported that U of L police and the FBI are investigating whether they and a former employee, Dr. Russell Bessette, used federal money for non-university purposes. http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2015/12/09/u-l-execs-under-investigation-put-leave/77060074/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin= 4F249033-FB8B-4114-B02B-975ED7D7D54F Wed, 9 Dec 2015 07:52:31 -0600 A Greenpeace undercover investigation has exposed how fossil fuel companies can secretly pay academics at leading American universities to write research that sows doubt about climate science and promotes the companies’ commercial interests. Posing as representatives of oil and coal companies, reporters from Greenpeace UK asked academics from Princeton and Penn State to write papers promoting the benefits of CO2 and the use of coal in developing countries. The professors agreed to write the reports and said they did not need to disclose the source of the funding. http://energydesk.greenpeace.org/2015/12/08/exposed-academics-for-hire/ E7B2CFDF-ECF8-43E6-BE4A-029CC7A272EC Tue, 8 Dec 2015 09:40:54 -0600 The University of Florida has agreed to pay nearly $20 million to resolve allegations that it improperly charged the Department of Health and Human Services for salary and administrative costs on hundreds of federal grants, the Department of Justice said Friday. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/11/20/university-of-florida-to-pay-government-20-million-to-settle-fraud-charges/ 254B834E-33B8-4D15-A0FF-A205C7F1BCD8 Fri, 20 Nov 2015 09:02:35 -0600 A federal jury has found a former Florida State University professor guilty of embezzlement. Federal prosecutors say James Doran embezzled a total of $650,000 from the College of Business "Student Investment Fund" between 2010 and 2011. The fund allows students to invest real money to essentially learn the ropes of investing. Doran was the faculty advisor. http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Former-Florida-State-University-Finance-Professor-Indicted-for-Embezzlement-299351641.html 983DCB12-BF49-49B2-A0FD-97D515FD5447 Fri, 20 Nov 2015 08:18:48 -0600 Only days after Lil Wayne was announced to perform at Alabama State University, the college has issued a release stating that the rapper will not be appearing tonight. In a press release on Tuesday evening, Alabama State University said it was the victim of fraud after falsely booking Lil Wayne through a third party promoter. The rapper was intended to be the headliner for the school's annual Homecoming concert tonight. http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2015/11/lil_wayne_concert_canceled_aft.html 1552FF36-7A50-4508-8DB6-15398FDBA7D9 Thu, 19 Nov 2015 10:54:27 -0600 The University of Louisville has placed its $185,000-a-year director of alumni relations on administrative leave while it investigates allegations that she used the same position at the University of Georgia to take taxpayer-funded trips to run marathons. An internal audit at UGA found that after Deborah Dietzler signed up to run races in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Monterey, Calif., she would ask her staff to set up meetings or events in the area so she could get the university to reimburse her airfare and in some cases other expenses. http://www.whas11.com/story/news/local/2015/11/17/uofl-alumni-relations-dir-leave-amid-claims-past-job/75955842/ AADD511D-8F4A-4925-8162-F35840F7010E Wed, 18 Nov 2015 09:06:37 -0600 Federal and state prosecutors are poised to announce a settlement with Education Management Corporation, one of the nation's largest for-profit college chains, that would resolve allegations it defrauded taxpayers out of $11 billion, according to people familiar with the case. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/education-management-corporation-fraud-settlement_56464d56e4b0603773490408 EB3E7578-2C74-449F-B4F2-8C8B21BCDB9D Mon, 16 Nov 2015 07:16:40 -0600 Misuse of a Radford University credit card brought a Dublin woman two years of probation Friday. Tammy Saunders, 41, was a university employee when she used an institutional credit card to pay for car and utility expenses, and apparently for snacks on the night of the Super Bowl, Radford Commonwealth’s Attorney Chris Rehak said during Friday’s hearing in Radford Circuit Court. http://www.roanoke.com/news/crime/radford/radford-university-embezzlement-brings-probation/article_666d2aad-feb9-50a3-8909-b81298accc58.html 7BE44B98-C3C1-4217-A3D7-818DFCBB436B Fri, 13 Nov 2015 00:00:00 -0600 The dean of business at Texas Tech University announced his resignation this week after an internal investigation exposed his role in a grade-changing scandal. http://www.chron.com/news/education/article/Texas-Tech-dean-resign-amid-scandal-6624850.php 9D92FF57-AAA2-4590-9050-9AB5774C4811 Wed, 11 Nov 2015 12:53:58 -0600 The University of Colorado School of Medicine announced Friday that it was returning a $1 million gift from Coca-Cola after it was revealed that the money had been used to establish an advocacy group that played down the link between soft drinks and obesity. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/university-returns-1-million-grant-to-coca-cola/ C182439D-5535-4159-8E4F-93460CBA37D3 Fri, 6 Nov 2015 11:08:07 -0600 A former office coordinator at Grand Valley State University is charged with a felony for allegedly embezzling more than $50,000 from the university, court records show. Lynnea MacGeorge, 44, worked for Athletic and Recreation Facilities Management on GVSU's Allendale campus since 2008 before resigning June 23, said university spokeswoman Mary Eilleen Lyon. Campus police opened an investigation in June when employees reported that funds were missing. A report was forwarded to prosecutors in October. MacGeorge, of Allendale, was arraigned Wednesday, Nov. 4, in Hudsonville District Court on a count of embezzlement of more than $50,000 but less than $100,000, court records show. The offense is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2015/11/gvsu_employee_charged_with_emb.html 18F90AF4-9425-4215-AC30-E22B050DE8BE Fri, 6 Nov 2015 08:48:15 -0600 A University of Iowa military and veterans education specialist has been fired for using "inappropriate language" in an email sent from his UI address in an official capacity.The university cited its ethics policy that requires employees be respectful in their communications. http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/higher-education/university-of-iowa-veterans-education-specialist-fired-for-inappropriate-email-20151102 03A8D246-5349-4267-BDB0-75C7CAE4B0E7 Thu, 5 Nov 2015 09:55:27 -0600 Embezzlement originating from any corner of campus can threaten any college and university. As for the losses, they can be big. http://www.universitybusiness.com/article/campus-fraud-firewalls D1239D71-7D52-4938-9B17-0BB67627AD63 Fri, 30 Oct 2015 09:04:33 -0500 Twenty-five years after it was first published, one of the world’s top medical journals is retracting a study by a once-renowned Canadian researcher after an internal university report surfaced, revealing the paper is the result of scientific fraud. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/journal-retracts-study-by-canadian-researcher-citing-scientific-fraud/article27023169/ EDCA21C4-8CE0-4D60-8B68-65ED82A9B590 Thu, 29 Oct 2015 07:46:49 -0500 A Harvard Kennedy School professor wrote a widely disseminated policy paper last year in support of genetically modified organisms at the behest of seed giant Monsanto, without disclosing his connection, e-mails show. http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/10/01/harvard-professor-failed-disclose-monsanto-connection-paper-touting-gmos/lLJipJQmI5WKS6RAgQbnrN/story.html F969DDD4-B6F8-4D73-BFFA-54EEF58D0808 Thu, 1 Oct 2015 14:20:00 -0500 Eleven more suspects have been charged in Pennsylvania in the hazing death of a New York City fraternity pledge. Police say fraternity members at Baruch College physically abused Chun "Michael" Deng during a December 2013 hazing ritual in the Pocono Mountains and then tried to cover it up. http://abc7ny.com/news/police-11-more-charged-in-hazing-death-of-baruch-college-student/1012453/ F34434B6-0D16-40FC-B8F6-5FE6C19B1671 Thu, 1 Oct 2015 14:47:34 -0500 The state board that licenses psychologists moved Friday to reprimand the head of the University of Oregon's counseling center, fine her $5,000 and make her take ethics classes for breaching a student's confidentiality. http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2015/09/state_board_proposes_5000_fine.html 6520BB7A-23D9-40B3-9491-729F0822F84D Sat, 26 Sep 2015 14:46:58 -0500 Southern Methodist University committed multiple violations, including academic fraud, unethical conduct and head coach control in the men's basketball program and recruiting and unethical conduct in the men's golf program, according to a decision issued by a Division I Committee on Infractions panel. As a result, the former head men's golf coach, the former compliance director and a former men's basketball administrative assistant violated NCAA's unethical conduct rules. http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/smu-commits-men-s-basketball-and-golf-violations 74619418-FAA8-49D4-9E4C-77CB244F7B4E Tue, 29 Sep 2015 14:48:44 -0500 During the 17 years Shawn Bunn worked as a computer lab manager for Harvard, he was issued a university credit card so he could make purchases for the lab. On Wednesday, Bunn, a 44-year-old Waltham resident, was charged with larceny, false entry in corporate books, and using forged documents in Woburn Superior Court. ''Over a period of four years, the defendant is alleged to have made personal purchases in excess of $80,000 therefore diverting resources from the students and faculty of Harvard University.'' http://www.boston.com/news/education/2015/09/23/former-harvard-employee-accused-stealing-from-the-university/OgzOD9iAg52S4xK8OX394M/story.html 3FC1FE01-9147-4999-82CB-BFA3DA7E5FCC Wed, 23 Sep 2015 14:49:15 -0500 Rachel Dolezal, the former head of the NAACP in Spokane, Wash., and adjunct instructor of Africana Studies at Eastern Washington University, made headlines this summer for claiming to be black even as her parents publicly insisted she was white. The case brought to light something that academe has dealt with for decades: faculty applicants claiming an ethnic affiliation they don't actually possess, either to gain some kind of edge in the hiring process in terms helping an institution meet its diversity goals, or to appear more expert in one's field, or both (or possibly neither). https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/09/22/how-might-colleges-and-universities-best-prevent-ethnic-fraud-faculty-hires?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=dfb1fce431-DNU20150922&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-dfb1fce431-198624309 1E8AA762-6D17-49C0-827A-BD08EF9AB724 Tue, 22 Sep 2015 14:49:44 -0500 An Arizona State University professor who has been accused of plagiarism has been placed on administrative leave this week while university officials review his conduct. ASU confirmed to The Arizona Republic that associate professor Matthew Whitaker has been relieved of all duties while the university, following Arizona Board of Regents policy, reviews allegations that his conduct has fallen short of university expectations for a faculty member and a scholar, ASU spokesman Mark Johnson said. http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/tempe/2015/09/17/asu-professor-whitaker-placed-leave/32541923/ E76A2D55-9434-43DE-8157-74CB72639BEB Thu, 17 Sep 2015 14:50:16 -0500 A woman from Central has been accused of misusing at least $10,000 of Clemson University money. Shana Lashay Grant, 34, is charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent value $10,000 or more by the State Law Enforcement Division. Pickens County Sheriff's Department says Grant used Clemson's money to purchase approximately 231 Apple Computers devices, valued at more than $200,000. http://wspa.com/2015/09/17/woman-charged-with-fraud-over-clemson-university-money/ DB1E9F28-2B4D-4C32-B1CD-914010050E5E Thu, 17 Sep 2015 14:50:54 -0500 Rutgers University's embattled football coach, Kyle J. Flood, will be suspended three games and fined $50,000, the university's president, Robert L. Barchi, announced on Wednesday. The basis for that punishment? The results of a long-awaited investigative report into Mr. Flood's contact with a professor about a player's academic standing. So stupefying is much of the report that it might as well bear the subtitle ''All the Impulses a College Coach Might Have but Should Never Act On.'' http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/rutgers-football-coach-tried-to-get-a-players-grade-changed-he-got-caught/104585?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en FB0EE956-725A-4CA4-B3FB-A804D2003499 Wed, 16 Sep 2015 14:51:28 -0500 Jerry Wang, the CEO of embattled Herguan University in Sunnyvale, has been sentenced to one year in prison for submitting false documents to the Department of Homeland Security, federal officials announced Tuesday. Wang, 34, of Santa Clara, had been indicted on 15 charges centering on a visa fraud scheme in connection with luring students illegally to Herguan. He pleaded guilty in April. http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_28820263/jerry-yang-ceo-herguan-university-sentenced-prison 8EE6D696-A57E-49CB-8047-0B51F18500B6 Wed, 16 Sep 2015 14:51:58 -0500