In a stunning revelation of corporate malfeasance, a former Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) manager for big-name corporations Facebook and Nike has been handed a five-year prison sentence after pilfering over $5 million from her employers. The mastermind behind this egregious theft, Barbara Furlow-Smiles, 38, orchestrated a plan laden with fraudulent vendors, fictitious invoices, and cash kickbacks, resulting in a grand-scale embezzlement that has rocked the business world.
Furlow-Smiles was found guilty of siphoning $4.9 million from Facebook and over $120,000 from Nike, continuing her unscrupulous activities even after being terminated from the tech giant. U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg ruled that she not only must serve time in federal prison but also pay restitution for the staggering amounts she stole. Her sentence includes five years behind bars followed by three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan didn’t mince words, stating, “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. 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.”
The Department of Justice revealed that Furlow-Smiles squandered the illicit funds to indulge in a lavish lifestyle, hopping between California, Georgia, and Oregon. From January 2017 until September 2021, Furlow-Smiles supervised DEI programs at Facebook, abusing her access to company credit cards and payment platforms to channel money to friends, relatives, and dubious associates—all under the pretense of legitimate business transactions.
Intriguingly, it wasn’t just corporate insiders who assisted her. The DOJ disclosed that nannies, babysitters, a hairstylist, and even her university tutor played roles in her elaborate deceit. After her tenure at Facebook ended in a cloud of corruption, she found sanctuary at Nike from November 2021 to February 2023. There, as the senior director of DEI, she exploited her role yet again by linking her company card to personal PayPal and Venmo accounts, manipulating payment claims with fabricated expenses for events like Juneteenth.
FBI agent Keri Farley highlighted Furlow-Smiles’ reckless arrogance, stating, “After she was fired, she carelessly continued her fraudulent schemes at Nike, thinking she was untouchable. As a result, she not only threw away a lucrative career but will serve time behind bars for her excessive greed.”
This high-profile sentencing comes at a time when DEI programs are under intense scrutiny across the nation, prompting questions about oversight and ethical standards within these initiatives. The conservative perspective remains clear: accountability is paramount, and safeguards against such exploitation must be reinforced to preserve the integrity of corporate ethics and fiscal responsibility.
Liberty requires eternal vigilance. That's why we work hard to deliver news about issues that threaten your liberty.
