Popular University Professor Pleads Guilty to Stealing $150,000, Faces Jail Term in US
- Pamela Humphrey, 44, a professor at Fayetteville Technical Community College, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud
- Humphrey submitted a fraudulent EIDL application, falsifying employee numbers and revenue figures to secure a $150,000 Covid relief loan
- She now faces up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and a forfeiture judgment of $150,000 at sentencing
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A North Carolina community college professor has pleaded guilty to defrauding the federal government by submitting a false Covid-19 relief loan application and pocketing $150,000 in funds intended for struggling businesses.
Pamela Humphrey, 44, of Robeson County, entered her guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Jones after investigators uncovered her role in a scheme to exploit the Small Business Administration's Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programme.
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Humphrey was employed as a professor at Fayetteville Technical Community College at the time of the offence.
How the fraud was carried out
Humphrey submitted a fraudulent EIDL application for a business based in Robeson County, deliberately misrepresenting the number of employees and the gross revenue of the enterprise to make it appear eligible for government assistance. After the SBA approved the application, the funds were transferred directly into a personal bank account under her control.
The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division (IRS-CI) jointly conducted the investigation that led to her charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Sentencing and prosecutor's warning
At sentencing, Humphrey faces a maximum prison term of 30 years, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and is required to repay a forfeiture money judgment of $150,000. A sentencing date had not been announced at the time of publication.
U.S. Attorney W. Ellis Boyle, who made the announcement on behalf of the Eastern District of North Carolina, issued a pointed warning to anyone considering similar conduct. "While the government stopped doling out billions in easy Covid loans, this office remains vigilant to hold fraudsters accountable," Boyle said.
"Any person who steals taxpayers' dollars can expect us to find them, investigate them, and convict them. Then they will pay it back while in prison. Cheaters. Never. Win."
The case forms part of a broader federal effort to pursue individuals who exploited emergency Covid-19 relief programmes that disbursed billions of dollars to businesses and individuals across the United States during the pandemic.
FBI identifies African man behind 800-victim romance scam
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a Kenyan had been named as one of six individuals facing federal charges in the United States.
This comes amid allegations of his involvement in an international scam that combined fake romantic relationships with fraudulent cryptocurrency investments to defraud hundreds of Americans.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
