Former Facebook And Nike DEI Official Is Sentenced To 5 Years In Prison For Defrauding Her Employers

Former FB and Nike DEI official has been sentenced to five years in prison after defrauding her employers out of more than $5 million. Barbara Furlow-Smiles, 38, of Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years, three months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Furlow-Smiles used her position at the company to fake business deals in exchange for kickbacks, stealing more than $4.9 million. She used access to corporate credit cards, phony paperwork, and her authority to make purchases and approve invoices for vendors to commit fraud. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,981,783.58 to FB and $121,054.50 to Nike, for a total of $5,102,838.08. Furlow-Smiles was convicted of wire fraud on December 11, 2023, after she pleaded guilty.