According to federal authorities, a former Facebook global diversity strategist stole almost $4 million “to fund a lavish lifestyle” in Georgia and California, and then pleaded guilty to wire fraud about it.
The money was stolen “through an elaborate scheme involving fraudulent vendors, fictitious charges, and cash kickbacks,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta. Barbara Furlow-Smiles was in charge of different Facebook Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs from 2017 to mid-2021.
Meta, Facebook’s parent business, was not led by Furlow-Smiles, who pled guilty on Monday in federal court in Atlanta.
According to the prosecution, 38-year-old Furlow-Smiles did a number of things, including getting Facebook to pay for services and items that weren’t actually rendered and then having those people pay her kickbacks.
Friends, family, previous interns, nannies, babysitters, a hairdresser, and her university instructor were among the people named by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Furlow-Smiles allegedly directed Facebook to pay individuals who did not engage in bribes $10,000 for a speciality portrait and over $18,000 for preschool tuition.
In her plan, Furlow-Smiles used her Facebook credit cards to pay friends, family, and associates for services and items that were supposedly given to Facebook through PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App.
Officials from the United States Attorney’s office released a statement accusing Furlow-Smiles of “defrauding the company of millions of dollars, ignoring the insidious consequences of undermining the importance of her DEI mission” and abusing her trusting position at Facebook.
Prosecutors stated that Meta helped and cooperated with their criminal investigation.
The sentencing hearing for Atlanta resident Furlow-Smiles is set for March 19. A $5,000 bond has released her.
According to a Meta representative who talked with New source, the company will maintain its cooperation with law enforcement in relation to the matter involving the former program manager.
A request for comment was not promptly responded to by Furlow-Smiles’s lawyer, Lance Clarke.
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Amanda Byers is a graduate of Columbia, where she played volleyball and annoyed a lot of professors. Now as Zobuz’s entertainment and Lifestyle Editor, she enjoys writing about delicious BBQ, outrageous style trends and all things Buzz worthy.
