https://www.breitbart.com/tech...-5-million-dei-scam/A former diversity manager at Facebook and Nike has been
sentenced to five years and three months in prison for stealing over $5 million from the companies, which was intended for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
CNBC reports that Barbara Furlow-Smiles, a 38-year-old Georgia resident, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in December after being accused of stealing more than $4.9 million from Facebook and an additional six-figure sum from Nike. According to Atlanta U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan, Furlow-Smiles used a scheme involving “fraudulent vendors, fake invoices, and cash kickbacks” to siphon funds from Facebook, where she worked as a lead strategist and global head of employee resource groups and diversity engagement.
After being fired from Facebook in mid-2021, Furlow-Smiles continued her fraudulent activities at Nike, where she worked as a senior director of diversity, equity & inclusion from November 2021 to February 2023. Prosecutors said she executed a similar theft scheme while at Nike.
The stolen money was used by Furlow-Smiles to fund a luxurious lifestyle in California, Georgia, and Oregon. In addition to the prison sentence, District Judge Steven Grimberg ordered her to pay restitution of $4.98 million to Facebook and $121,000 to Nike.
