A former DEI manager at Facebook and Nike who reportedly stole $5 million has been sentenced to over five years in prison.
Barbara Furlow-Smiles, a black woman, was sentenced on May 13th to five years and three months in federal prison for orchestrating an elaborate plan involving fake vendors and cash kickbacks.
“Furlow-Smiles shamelessly violated her position of trust as a DEI executive at Facebook to steal millions from the company utilizing a scheme involving fraudulent vendors, fake invoices, and cash kickbacks,” US Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said in a statement.
“After being terminated from Facebook, she brazenly continued the fraud as a DEI leader at Nike, where she stole another six-figure sum from their diversity program,” he added.
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. https://t.co/HTCOtTgqEI
— US Attorney NDGA (@NDGAnews) May 13, 2024
According to a DOJ press release, Furlow-Smiles served as the Lead Strategist, Global Head of Employee Resource Groups and Diversity Engagement at Facebook, Inc from 2017 to 2021, the year she was fired.
In this role, she “was responsible for developing and executing DEI initiatives, operations, and engagement programs.”
Moreover, and more importantly, in this position, she had access to all company credit cards, and she had permission to submit purchase requisitions and approve invoices for authorized vendors of Facebook.
Using this power, she reportedly paid for goods and services that were never provided to Facebook and then directed the vendors to kick money back to her, usually in cash.
“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,” the press release reads.
“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,” the press release continues.
The “vendors” later paid her back either by handing her cash in person or sometimes also sending it via Federal Mail.
The “vendors” were of course comprised of her friends and family.
“Furlow-Smiles recruited numerous individuals to participate in the scheme,” the press release notes. “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,” the press release continues.
Facebook Diversity Manager Diversified $4,000,000 into Her Bank Account
While Barbara Furlow-Smiles scammed Fakebook out of more than $4 million through a scheme in which she faked business deals in exchange for kickbacks
They’re all so corrupt.
Article… pic.twitter.com/nUySDh4JtF
— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) December 13, 2023
After she was fired from Facebook, she switched over to Nike from 2021 to 2023, where she worked as the Senior Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. In this role, she was responsible for handling all of Nike’s DEI initiatives, strategies, and vendors.
But just like at Facebook, Furlow-Smiles used her power at Nike to pad her own pockets.
“Furlow-Smiles circumvented the vendor process at Nike to commit fraud,” according to the press release. “She linked her Nike corporate card to her PayPal and Venmo accounts. She then paid her associates with PayPal and Venmo, causing fraudulent charges to her Nike card. ”
“The associates kicked back portions of the payments to Furlow-Smiles, who submitted fraudulent expense reports to Nike to cover her tracks. The expense reports falsely claimed that the payments were related to [a] Juneteenth event,” the press release continues.
“After she was fired, she carelessly continued her fraudulent schemes at Nike, thinking she was untouchable,” Keri Farley, the special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, said in a statement. “As a result, she not only threw away a lucrative career, but will serve time behind bars for her excessive greed.”
In total, she stole around $4.9 million from Facebook and $120,000 from Nike using this fraudulent scheme.
Critics weren’t surprised by any of this. The adherents of DEI have long demonstrated an affinity for deep, deep, deep corruption.
Not a surprise, DEI is so corrupted.
— Ricky Ho (@mightwolf1942) May 16, 2024
Whether it’s plagiarism or embezzlement, there does seem to be a remarkably consistent standard of Ethics or non ethics among DEI poohbahs
— James Higgins (@JamesEHiggins) May 17, 2024
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Author: Vivek Saxena
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