Barbara Furlow-Smiles, a former Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) manager at Facebook and Nike, has been sentenced to federal prison for masterminding multi-million dollar fraud schemes at both companies.
The 38-year-old admitted to embezzling $5 million through fraudulent activities while employed by the two tech and sportswear giants, according to Fox Business.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan in a statement.
From January 2017 to September 2021, Furlow-Smiles led DEI programs at Facebook. Her role involved developing and implementing diversity initiatives.
Prosecutors disclosed that she covertly diverted company funds to her personal PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App accounts.
These funds were then used to pay friends, family members, former interns, childcare providers, a stylist, and others for services that were never rendered to Facebook.
After her dismissal from Facebook, Furlow-Smiles joined Nike as a DEI senior director from November 2021 to February 2023.
During her tenure at Nike, she continued her fraudulent activities, employing similar schemes to defraud her new employer.
“She stole another six-figure sum from their diversity program,” Buchanan stated. “Her prison sentence reflects the consequences of orchestrating an intricate scheme to defraud two major employers for personal profit.”
Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office, condemned Furlow-Smiles’ actions, stating:
“She not only threw away a lucrative career but will serve time behind bars for her excessive greed.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced that Furlow-Smiles has been sentenced to five years and three months in federal prison.
She has also been ordered to pay restitution of $4,981,783.58 to Facebook (now Meta) and $121,054.50 to Nike.
