Smiles turned to frowns for former Facebook and Nike diversity program manager, Barbara Furlow-Smiles, who has been sentenced to five years, three months in federal prison for using her DEI roles to steal over $5 million.
Turns out, some diversity hires will really cost you:
Barbara Furlow-Smiles, a former diversity program manager at Facebook and Nike, has been sentenced for stealing more than $5 million based on an elaborate scheme involving fraudulent vendors, fictitious paperwork, and cash kickbacks.
In addition to a prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg ordered Furlow-Smiles to pay almost $5 million in restitution to Facebook, and over $121,000 to Nike (who hired her AFTER she had stolen all that money from Facebook).
I'm starting to think that when Nike tells you to "just do it," they're not serious.
Her scheme, which Not The Bee first covered last December when she pled guilty, was about as complicated as a diversity, equity and inclusion seminar on BIPOC-owned ice hockey franchises ... but far more lucrative.
First, Furlow-Smiles linked PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App accounts to her Facebook credit cards and used those accounts to pay friends, relatives, and other associates for goods and services that in truth were never provided to Facebook. To conceal the bogus charges, Furlow-Smiles submitted fraudulent expense reports, falsely claiming that her associates or their businesses had performed work on programs and events for Facebook, such as providing swag or marketing services, when in fact they had not done so.
After these individuals received the payments from Facebook, they returned the vast majority of the money to Furlow-Smiles. They paid these kickbacks in cash and through account transfers to others, including her husband. They paid the cash kickbacks in person and by Federal Express or mail, sometimes wrapping the cash in other items, such as T-shirts. Furlow-Smiles also directed associates to pay one another, or others to whom she owed money, to conceal her involvement in the scheme.
Second, Furlow-Smiles caused Facebook to onboard several vendors that were owned and operated by friends and associates who paid her kickbacks. Furlow-Smiles approved fraudulent invoices for these vendors. After Facebook paid the invoices, Furlow-Smiles directed the vendors to return a portion of the money they received to her.
To be fair, Furlow-Smiles was careful to be inclusive when it came to her scams.
Furlow-Smiles recruited numerous individuals to participate in the scheme. These individuals included friends, relatives, former interns from a prior job, nannies and babysitters, a hair stylist, and her university tutor. She also caused Facebook to make payments for her benefit to others who did not pay kickbacks. For example, Furlow-Smiles caused Facebook to pay nearly $10,000 to an artist for specialty portraits and more than $18,000 to a preschool for tuition.
Let's not forget an important point here: DEI exists to fight systemic discrimination (supposedly). So not only did Furlow-Smiles steal millions of dollars, she did it under the guise of fighting for equity against the evils of capitalism!
(This is the woke equivalent of a pastor stealing from the collection bucket.)
Who knows how Furlow-Smiles will get together the money to pay Facebook and Nike back.
But if any corporations are hiring a diversity manager, let us know!
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