Tag Archives: Fraud

Convicted felon and former U Louisville ed school dean Robert Felner to be released from federal prison today

Posted on May 12, 2014 by | Comments Off on Convicted felon and former U Louisville ed school dean Robert Felner to be released from federal prison today

Robert Felner, former dean of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Louisville and convicted felon, is schedule to be release from federal prison today.

Felner was sentenced to 63 months in prison for his role in defrauding the U of L and the University of Rhode Island of $2.3 million of US Department of Education funds earmarked for No Child Left Behind Act research.

The U of L reported suspected fraud to federal officials and, in June 2008, on Felner’s last day of work at U of L, federal officers conducted simultaneous raids on the U of L College of Education and Human Development and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where Felner had accepted the presidency and was in the process of moving. The investigation involved the US Secret Service, US Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service.

In January 2010, Felner pleaded guilty to nine Federal charges, including income tax evasion.

For a refresher course on the felonious Felner see PageOneKentucky.com’ summary of events. For a full course of Felner on PageOneKentucky click here. (Shout out to Jake at PageOneKentucky for excellent investigative reporting on Felner and the U of L.)

For Workplace Blog coverage of Felner click here.

Here is a Louisville Courier-Journal profile of Felner: Robert Felner profile: Arrogant, outrageous, abusive and duplicitous.

A couple of footnotes to the Felner Story:

(1) Los Angeles school superintendent, John Deasy, has had his academic credentials called into question. Deasy was given a PhD by the University of Louisville after he was enrolled for four months and received a total of nine credits. Deasy’s doctoral advisor was Robert Felner. Deasy had previously awarded $375,000 in consulting contracts to Felner, while Deasy was Superintendent of Santa Monica schools.

(2) U of L has been making double retirement payouts to administrators for their silence.

Records show that the school paid a full year’s salary to outgoing vice presidents Michael Curtin ($252,350) and Larry Owsley ($248,255) and to assistant to the president Vivian Hibbs ($66,391) to induce them not to “disparage, demean or impugn the university or its senior leadership.”

And last month U of L made a $346,000.00 settlement with Angela Kosawha:

The University of Louisville is paying another large settlement in connection with the retirement of a high-ranking official — this time, $346,844 to its top lawyer. University counsel Angela Koshewa is on a three-month leave of absence before she officially retires June 1. Documents obtained under the Kentucky Open Records Act show the university is paying Koshewa — who has questioned some expenditures and proposals backed by President James Ramsey and Dr. David Dunn, the executive vice president for Health Affairs — twice her final salary.

Current U of L President James Ramsey and Provost Shirley Willihnganz are the same campus officials who hired Robert Felner, and defended him when he was initially charged with defrauding the university.

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U of L watches closely as Grawemeyer Award winner’s book is challenged

Posted on April 19, 2011 by | Comments Off on U of L watches closely as Grawemeyer Award winner’s book is challenged

Courier-Journal: U of L watches closely as Grawemeyer Award winner’s book is challenged

U of L announced last week that it was presenting the award to author Greg Mortenson, just days before the CBS news show aired a segment saying two of his books — “Three Cups of Tea” and “Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan” — contained inaccuracies and fabrications.

“The Grawemeyer Awards program has taken author Greg Mortenson at his word, as have millions of readers around the world. Given the impact of his work, we hope these early reports are unfounded but we will be closely watching this situation as it unfolds,” Allan Dittmer, executive director of U of L’s Grawemeyer Awards, said Monday in a statement.

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Aide says convicted U of Louisville dean had money funneled to Illinois center

Posted on August 24, 2010 by | Comments Off on Aide says convicted U of Louisville dean had money funneled to Illinois center

Courier-Journal: Aide says Felner had money funneled to Illinois center

The executive assistant to former University of Louisville education dean Robert Felner testified Monday that Felner stood over her shoulder and dictated information for her to type on invoices meant to funnel money from the university to an Illinois center set up by a longtime associate.

Becki Newton told a U.S. District Court jury that she recalled seeing the associate, Thomas Schroeder of Port Byron, Ill., at U of L’s College of Education and Human Development several times a year.

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Former University of Louisville dean Robert Felner sentenced to more than five years in prison

Posted on May 17, 2010 by | Comments Off on Former University of Louisville dean Robert Felner sentenced to more than five years in prison

The Chronicle: Former U. of Louisville Dean Is Sentenced to More Than 5 Years

Robert D. Felner, the former dean of the University of Louisville’s College of Education and Human Development, was sentenced on Monday to five and a quarter years in federal prison.

Mr. Felner was indicted in October 2008 on charges that he and a confederate had misappropriated more than $2.3-million from a federal research grant and from contracts with three urban school districts.

The indictment prompted a long round of soul-searching at Louisville. Some faculty members say that the university could have detected Mr. Felner’s wrongdoing earlier if administrators had paid attention to faculty and student complaints about his conduct. Others have suggested that the university did a weak job of checking Mr. Felner’s background when he was hired in 2003.

Courier-Journal: Former University of Louisville dean Robert Felner sentenced to more than five years in prison

Robert Felner, former University of Louisville dean of education, was sentenced on Monday to 63 months in prison for his role in defrauding U of L and the University of Rhode Island of $2.3 million.

Felner — who was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles R. Simpson III in Louisville — pleaded guilty in January to nine federal charges, including income tax evasion.

In addition to prison time, Felner must pay restitution of $510,000 to U of L, $1.64 million to the University of Rhode Island and $88,750 to the Rock Island County Council on Addiction in Illinois.

The plea agreement was reached with the U.S. attorney’s office after Felner was indicted in October 2008 in Louisville on charges of mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, income tax evasion and conspiracy to impede and impair the Internal Revenue Service. The charges against Felner carried a maximum penalty of 75 years in prison.

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Former UofL dean sentenced to 63 months in prison for tax evasion, embezzling

Posted on May 17, 2010 by | Comments Off on Former UofL dean sentenced to 63 months in prison for tax evasion, embezzling

WHAS: Former UofL dean sentenced to 63 months in prison for tax evasion, embezzling

Louisville, Ky. (WHAS11) – The former University of Louisville dean of the College of Education has been sentenced to over five years in prison.

Robert Felner pled guilty to federal charges including tax evasion and embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the university.

He was sentenced to 63 months in prison and will have to pay back $2,245,000 in restitution.

He will have to pay money back to UofL, the University of Rhode Island and Rock Island Council of Addiction.

After he serves his sentence he will serve three years on probation.

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Former University of Louisville dean Robert Felner set to be sentenced Monday

Posted on May 16, 2010 by | Comments Off on Former University of Louisville dean Robert Felner set to be sentenced Monday

Courier-Journal: Former University of Louisville dean Robert Felner set to be sentenced Monday

Robert Felner, former University of Louisville dean of education, is expected to be sentenced on Monday, almost two years after federal and local law enforcement authorities raided his college as part of a wide-ranging fraud investigation that involved two universities and multiple states.

Felner pleaded guilty in January to nine federal charges, including income tax evasion, and agreed to serve 63 months in prison in connection with defrauding UofL and the University of Rhode Island of $2.3million.

As part of the plea agreement, Felner agreed to pay restitution of $510,000 to UofL, $1.64million to the University of Rhode Island and $88,750 to the Rock Island County Council on Addiction in Illinois. Additionally, he agreed to forfeit property to the federal government that he owns in Florida and Illinois, as well as bank accounts containing undisclosed amounts.

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Robert Felner to plead guilty to siphoning millions from Louisville, Rhode Island universities

Posted on January 5, 2010 by | Comments Off on Robert Felner to plead guilty to siphoning millions from Louisville, Rhode Island universities

Courier-Journal: Attorney: Robert Felner to plead guilty to siphoning millions from Louisville, Rhode Island universities

Former University of Louisville education dean Robert Felner will plead guilty Friday in a case in which he and a colleague are accused of defrauding U of L and another university out of $2.3 million, his attorney said.

Attorney Scott C. Cox said Monday the plea is part of an agreement Felner made with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He would not disclose any terms of the deal, including which charges Felner would plead guilty to or how much jail time he may receive. Felner was not available for comment.

…

While not part of the criminal case, Felner’s treatment of faculty and staff at U of L’s College of Education and Human Development — and grievances against him — came to light during the investigation. Former faculty accused Felner of being vindictive, manipulative and threatening. As a result of those claims, the university revamped its grievance process, reviewed its faculty governance procedures and established an Ombuds Office to address faculty concerns and complaints.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Monday that it would have no comment until Felner formally enters his plea — he is accused of funneling millions of dollars through non-profit centers he helped create, then using the money to buy private property and make other personal expenditures.

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Williams fires accused professor

Posted on November 17, 2009 by | Comments Off on Williams fires accused professor

Berkshire Eagle: Williams fires accused professor

WILLIAMSTOWN — A Williams College visiting professor, who pleaded guilty to charges of fraud in federal court last week, has been terminated from the college.

In a letter to the Williams College community, Interim President William Wagner said Bernard Moore’s employment with the college ended as of Monday.

He further stated, “We have found no evidence of serious misuse on his part of college resources.”

Moore, 51, whose real name is Ernest B. Moore, was the college’s W. Ford Schumann ‘50 visiting assistant professor in Democratic Studies, and was in his second year at Williams College.

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U Florida professor, wife charged with fraud

Posted on November 2, 2009 by | Comments Off on U Florida professor, wife charged with fraud

Gainesville Sun: UF professor, wife charged with fraud

A University of Florida nuclear engineering professor and his wife were arrested Friday in Gainesville on charges they fraudulently obtained $3.7 million in government contracts and diverted money into personal bank accounts to buy cars and homes.

Samim Anghaie, 60, and his wife, Sousan Anghaie, 55, are accused of submitting false information, including research taken from UF students without their knowledge, in contract proposals to NASA, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy. They are alleged to have diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars earned from those contracts into their bank accounts and the accounts of their sons.

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Germany: 100 professors suspected of Ph.D. bribes

Posted on August 24, 2009 by | Comments Off on Germany: 100 professors suspected of Ph.D. bribes

AP: Germany: 100 professors suspected of Ph.D. bribes

BERLIN — German prosecutors are investigating about 100 professors across the country on suspicion they took bribes to help students get their doctoral degrees, authorities said Saturday.

The investigation is focused on the Institute for Scientific Consulting, based in Bergisch Gladbach, just east of Cologne, which allegedly acted as the intermediary between students and the professors, said Cologne prosecutor’s spokesman Guenther Feld.

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Keeping an Eye on Earmarks: the Education Department’s Role in Oversight

Posted on June 8, 2009 by | Comments Off on Keeping an Eye on Earmarks: the Education Department’s Role in Oversight

The Chronicle: Keeping an Eye on Earmarks: the Education Department’s Role in Oversight

The University of Louisville’s former dean of education, Robert D. Felner, faces a criminal trial on charges that he and an associate diverted most of a $694,000 earmarked federal grant into their own bank accounts. Louisville officials have announced an administrative overhaul that will, they say, help prevent any future misbehavior with grants.

But what about the U.S. Department of Education, which was responsible for overseeing the grant on taxpayers’ behalf? Should it, too, be doing some soul-searching in the aftermath of Mr. Felner’s indictment?

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Education Dean’s Fraud Case Teaches U. of Louisville a Hard Lesson

Posted on June 8, 2009 by | Comments Off on Education Dean’s Fraud Case Teaches U. of Louisville a Hard Lesson

The Chronicle: Education Dean’s Fraud Case Teaches U. of Louisville a Hard Lesson

The former official now awaits trial. Some colleagues say the university should have caught him earlier.
Related materials

At the end of 2005, Robert D. Felner was riding high. A well-paid dean at the University of Louisville, he had just secured a $694,000 earmarked grant from the U.S. Department of Education to create an elaborate research center to help Kentucky’s public schools.

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Ward Churchill Is Defiant in Second Day on Witness Stand

Posted on March 25, 2009 by | Comments Off on Ward Churchill Is Defiant in Second Day on Witness Stand

The New York Times: Fired Colorado Professor Is Cross-Examined in Lawsuit

DENVER — A former University of Colorado professor spent nearly six hours defending his scholarly work on Tuesday during cross-examination in his lawsuit contending that he was fired for an essay he wrote about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The Chronicle News Blog: Ward Churchill Is Defiant in Second Day on Witness Stand

Ward Churchill acknowledged some flaws in his scholarship, but strenuously denied that any merited his 2007 dismissal by the University of Colorado, in testimony delivered today in a trial in which he is attempting to prove that his firing violated his First Amendment rights.

The Denver Post: Churchill: Plagiarism occurred: But it wasn’t he who lifted from another prof’s essay, he asserts.

A juror’s question, posed Tuesday after former professor Ward Churchill had been on the witness stand for more than seven hours, gave him the opening to argue — succinctly — that he was the victim of his controversial views, not his scholarship.
The Denver Post: 2nd day on stand for Churchill

The Colorado Daily: Regent testimony closes out the day

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Feds probing Emory, professor on research grants

Posted on March 2, 2009 by | Comments Off on Feds probing Emory, professor on research grants

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Feds probing Emory, professor on research grants

Federal officials are investigating Emory University and one of its prominent researchers to determine if either misled government agencies about the psychiatrist’s high-paying work with drug companies, officials said.

U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, who pressed for the investigation, sent a letter Tuesday to the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services outlining his concerns. He said Dr. Charles Nemeroff, an internationaly prominent psychiatrist, may have violated conflict of interest rules surrounding several grants that Emory received from the National Institutes of Health. Grassley’s letter also noted that Emory is required to report such conflicts to the NIH.

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Kentucky: Schroeder may seek to split his case from Felner’s in mail fraud, money-laundering, conspiracy and income-tax evasion trial

Posted on March 2, 2009 by | Comments Off on Kentucky: Schroeder may seek to split his case from Felner’s in mail fraud, money-laundering, conspiracy and income-tax evasion trial

Courier-Journal: Schroeder may seek to split his case from Felner’s

The attorney for Thomas Schroeder, the Illinois man named as co-defendant in the criminal case against former University of Louisville education dean Robert Felner, has filed a motion protecting his client’s right to request his case be tried separately from Felner’s.

Felner and Schroeder are accused of fraudulently obtaining nearly $2.3 million in grant and contract money from the universities of Louisville and Rhode Island.

Felner, 58, is facing 10 counts of mail fraud, money-laundering, conspiracy and income-tax evasion; a federal grand jury indicted him in October.

Schroeder, 51, of Fort Byron, Ill., also is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the IRS.

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Professor Accused of Pocketing NASA Money

Posted on February 27, 2009 by | Comments Off on Professor Accused of Pocketing NASA Money

The New York Times: Professor Accused of Pocketing NASA Money

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Federal investigators are accusing a University of Florida professor and three members of his family of fraudulently receiving millions of dollars from NASA and then funneling money to their personal bank accounts, court documents show.

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