12/15/2023
A former Facebook diversity strategist pleaded guilty to defrauding more than $4 million from the social media company, the U.S. Justice Department revealed on Tuesday.
According to prosecutors, Barbara Furlow-Smiles, who oversaw many of Facebook’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEl) programs, executed a years-long scheme to set up fake business deals in exchange for kickbacks to fund her
“lavish lifestyle.”
During her time at Facebook, Furlow-Smiles “had access to company credit cards and the ability to approve invoices as part of her role at the company,” the DOJ reported. With this access, she linked her company cards to PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App accounts owned by friends, relatives, and former business associates (along with a hairstylist, a babysitter, and others) and transferred money for goods and services never actually provided to the company. A percentage of the stolen funds were kicked back to Furlow-Smiles in cash.