{"id":2124137,"date":"2023-12-13T15:47:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T20:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-facebook-employee-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-4m-from-the-company\/"},"modified":"2023-12-13T15:49:48","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T20:49:48","slug":"former-facebook-employee-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-4m-from-the-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-facebook-employee-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-4m-from-the-company\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Facebook worker admits to stealing $4M"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fformer-facebook-employee-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-4m-from-the-company%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2124137&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">B| (Photo\u2062 by Alexander\u2062 Koerner\/Getty Images) F| Barbara Furlow-Smiles\u200d (Photo by Robin L Marshall\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>OAN\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/tag\/abril-elfi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Abril Elfi<\/a><br \/>12:39 AM \u2013 Wednesday, December 13,\u2062 2023<\/p>\n<p>A former Atlanta \u200cFacebook global\u2064 diversity executive has admitted to \u200dstealing over $4 million from the company.<\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3\" style=\"min-width: 320px; min-height: 50px; text-align: center;\">  \t<script>  \t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3'); });  \t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot__ad-label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>On \u2063Tuesday, Barbara Furlow-Smiles pleaded guilty to stealing millions from the tech company through cash kickbacks,\u2063 made-up charges, and fake vendors. <\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit was brought forth \u2062by United States Attorney Ryan K. \u2063Buchana who said Furlow-Smiles\u2063 \u201cabused a position of trust.\u201d <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cThis defendant\u200c abused a position of a trust\u2064 as a global diversity executive for Facebook to defraud the company of millions of dollars, ignoring the insidious consequences\u2063 of undermining\u200b the importance of her DEI mission,\u201d said Buchanan. \u201cMotivated by greed, she used her \u200dtime to orchestrate an elaborate criminal scheme in which fraudulent vendors paid her kickbacks in cash. \u200dShe even involved relatives, friends, and\u200d other associates in her \u200bcrimes, all to fund a lavish lifestyle through \u200dfraud rather than hard and honest work.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Keri Farely, special agent in \u200ccharge of FBI Atlanta, also agreed and \u2063said\u200b that Furlow-Smiles\u200c \u201cused lies and deceit to defraud both vendors and Facebook employees.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cThe FBI works hard to make sure greed like this doesn\u2019t pay off and those who commit \u200bfraud are held accountable,\u201d she \u2064added. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>According to the lawsuit, the defendant linked her Facebook (now Meta) credit cards to Paypal, Venmo and Cash App accounts and used them to pay her friends or associates for services that were not related to Facebook.<\/p>\n<p>Reportedly,\u2062 to cover her scheme, she would submit fake reports. <\/p>\n<p>Furlow-Smiles also\u2062 would have Facebook onboard vendors owned by friends and associates. <\/p>\n<p>She instructed the vendors to return a portion \u200bof\u2064 the\u200d money to her after\u200b approving the contracts and\u2063 invoices. <\/p>\n<p>Friends, \u200crelatives,\u2063 past interns, nannies, babysitters, a hair stylist, and her university tutor were among the people who were\u200b enlisted. Furlow-Smiles, for instance,\u2062 forced\u2062 Facebook to pay a\u200c preschool tuition of more than $18,000 and an artist close to\u2063 $10,000 for specialty portraits.<\/p>\n<p>Furlow-Smiles stole over $4 million in total, which she used to support her \u200dopulent lifestyle in Georgia\u200c and California. <\/p>\n<p>On March 19<sup>th<\/sup>, 2024, U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg will conduct the sentencing. <\/p>\n<p>The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with significant support from\u2064 Meta. <\/p>\n<p>Stay\u200b informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts\">https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"rc-widget-10bad2\" data-rc-widget data-widget-host=\"habitat\" data-endpoint=\"\/\/trends.revcontent.com\" data-widget-id=\"278641\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"dpsp-share-text\" style=\"margin-bottom:10px\"> \t\t \t\tShare this\u200d post!\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Hunter \u200cBiden\u2019s \u2062refusal to sit for Republican\u2019s closed-door deposition is raising lots of questions. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Congress is taking a second look\u200d at whole milk\u2019s place in school cafeterias. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>with Rep. Kevin Kiley<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>with Dr. Dave Brat<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Tesla \u200bis recalling just over two million vehicles in the United States fitted with its Autopilot advanced driver-assistance \u200bsystem to install new safeguards.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Netflix is set to pull\u2064 ahead of Disney+ in the race for U.S. advertising\u2063 dollars next year as price hikes and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/netflix-to-squeak-past-disney-in-us-advertising-revenue-in-2024-report\/\" title=\"Netflix is projected to surpass Disney+ in US ad revenue by 2024, says report\">password-sharing crackdown pull<\/a> more viewers to its ad-supported plan.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Microsoft and the\u2063 AFL-CIO union federation said they had struck \u200ca deal whereby the software giant will remain neutral in efforts \u200bby unions to encourage workers\u200c to become members.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Amazon.com asked a federal court to dismiss a U.S. government antitrust lawsuit which\u200b accuses \u2064the company of using illegal strategies to boost profits at its online retail empire.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \u2062rnrn  <\/p>\n<h2> \u200b What measures could\u2063 have been implemented by Facebook\u200c to prevent and detect Furlow-Smiles&#8217; fraudulent activities<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Sentencing hearing for \u200cFurlow-Smiles. She\u200c faces\u2064 a maximum sentence of\u200b 20 years\u2062 in prison, as well as fines and restitution.<\/p>\n<p>The case of \u200dBarbara Furlow-Smiles, a former Atlanta Facebook global diversity executive, has shocked the tech industry and highlighted the need for tighter financial controls within companies. Furlow-Smiles admitted to stealing over \u200c$4 million from the social media giant through a sophisticated scheme involving cash\u2064 kickbacks, fraudulent\u2064 charges, and\u200b fake vendors.<\/p>\n<p>United States \u2063Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, who brought \u2062forth the \u2064lawsuit against\u2063 Furlow-Smiles, stated that she &#8220;abused\u200d a position of trust&#8221; as a global diversity executive for Facebook.\u200c He emphasized the insidious consequences of her actions, noting that she undermined the importance of her mission to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.<\/p>\n<p>Motivated by greed, Furlow-Smiles orchestrated an elaborate criminal scheme, involving fraudulent vendors who paid her kickbacks in\u2062 cash. She even involved relatives, friends, and other associates to assist her in carrying out her crimes.\u2064 This was all to fund her\u200d lavish \u200dlifestyle, rather than earning an honest living through hard work.<\/p>\n<p>Keri Farely, the special agent in charge of FBI\u2064 Atlanta,\u200d also condemned Furlow-Smiles&#8217; actions. She stated\u2063 that\u200b Furlow-Smiles used lies and deceit to defraud both vendors and Facebook employees. Farely reaffirmed the commitment of the FBI to hold those\u2063 who commit fraud accountable, ensuring that\u200b greed does not \u2063pay off.<\/p>\n<p>According to the lawsuit, Furlow-Smiles connected her Facebook (now Meta) credit cards to various payment platforms like Paypal, Venmo, \u2062and Cash App. She used these accounts to pay her friends and associates for \u200bservices that were unrelated to Facebook. To cover her tracks, she submitted fake reports and also onboarded vendors \u2063owned by her\u2063 friends and associates\u200d to legitimize her scheme.<\/p>\n<p>Instructing\u200d the vendors to return a portion of the money to \u2063her after approving\u200d the contracts and invoices, Furlow-Smiles involved a wide network of people,\u200b including friends, relatives, past interns, nannies, babysitters, a hair stylist, and even her university tutor. \u2063Shockingly, she forced Facebook\u2064 to \u200bpay for non-related expenses \u200bsuch as preschool tuition and specialty portraits.<\/p>\n<p>Through her \u200bfraudulent activities, Furlow-Smiles managed\u2063 to steal over $4\u2063 million. She used this money to support her luxurious lifestyle in both Georgia and California. However, her criminal actions have caught up with her, and she now faces serious consequences.<\/p>\n<p>On March 19th, 2024, Furlow-Smiles will \u2062have\u200b her sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Steven\u200d D. Grimberg. During this hearing, the court will determine \u2064the appropriate punishment for her \u2064crimes. Furlow-Smiles could face a maximum prison sentence of 20\u2064 years, as well as significant fines and\u2062 restitution.<\/p>\n<p>This case serves as a stark\u2064 reminder that no one is exempt from \u200cthe\u2064 consequences \u2064of their actions, regardless of their position or the company they \u200cwork for. \u200dIt \u200balso \u200chighlights the importance of implementing robust internal controls and proper oversight to\u200c prevent and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tech-exec-pleads-guilty-to-role-in-defrauding-qualcomm-out-of-more-than-150-million\/\" title=\"Tech exec admits guilt in defrauding Qualcomm of 0M+.\">detect fraudulent activities<\/a>. \u2062Companies must remain \u2063vigilant and ensure\u200d that their employees\u200c uphold the highest\u200c ethical standards to maintain trust and integrity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Barbara Furlow-Smiles, a former Atlanta Facebook executive, has confessed to embezzling $4 million from the company. She pleaded guilty to the theft, which occurred on Tuesday<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2196,"featured_media":2124138,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2124137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oann"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2124137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2196"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2124137"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2124137\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2124138"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2124137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2124137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2124137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}