ATLANTA – Barbara Furlow-Smiles, a former diversity program manager at Facebook and Nike, has been sentenced to 6 years in prison for stealing more than $5 million from her former employers through an elaborate scheme involving fraudulent vendors, fictitious paperwork, and cash kickbacks.
Furlow-Smiles, 46, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud in connection with the scheme, which spanned from 2017 to 2021. She was sentenced to 72 months in prison and ordered to pay $5,011,191 in restitution.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “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. Her prison sentence reflects the consequences of her decision to orchestrate an intricate scheme to defraud two of her employers for personal profit.”
“As Lead Strategist at Facebook, Furlow-Smiles’ employer put an extreme amount of trust in her, only to have that trust completely violated,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “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.”
According to court documents, Furlow-Smiles used her position at Facebook to cheat and defraud the company by causing it to pay numerous individuals for goods and services that were never provided. She then directed those individuals to kick back the fraudulent proceeds to her, often in cash. Her scheme operated in two ways: by paying friends and associates for goods and services that were never provided, and by causing Facebook to onboard several vendors that were owned and operated by friends and associates who paid her kickbacks.
Furlow-Smiles was arrested in 2021 and charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. She pleaded guilty to the charges in 2022 and was sentenced to 72 months in prison. Her husband, who was also involved in the scheme, was sentenced to 12 months in prison and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. Furlow-Smiles’ sentence reflects the seriousness of her crimes and the need for accountability in cases of corporate fraud.
As a result of her scheme, Furlow-Smiles will serve 6 years in prison and pay $5,011,191 in restitution. Her case serves as a reminder of the consequences of corporate fraud and the importance of holding executives accountable for their actions.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan praised the efforts of the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work on the case. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of Furlow-Smiles’ crimes and the need for accountability in cases of corporate fraud,” he said. “We will continue to work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute cases of corporate fraud and hold executives accountable for their actions.”
Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, also commended the agents and prosecutors who worked on the case. “This case is a prime example of the FBI’s commitment to investigating and prosecuting corporate crime,” she said. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold executives accountable for their actions and bring justice to the victims of corporate fraud.”
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Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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