Oakland, CA – In a shocking case of betrayal, 45-year-old DeSondra Michell Ward was sentenced to 18 months in prison for embezzling a staggering $389,948.57 from the University of California, Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science.
A former administrative assistant with the Full Option Science System (FOSS) program, Ward used the university’s travel systems to arrange personal air travel for herself, her family, and her friends, and also purchased tickets which she sold to individuals for her own profit.
Ward further admitted to using her university-issued procurement card for personal transactions and processed vouchers to generate payments to herself, her family, and her friends.
The Lawrence Hall of Science’s FOSS program developed and maintains a science curriculum for elementary and middle school students, with 25% of the annual budget comprised of federal funding.
Ward pleaded guilty on February 9, 2016, to five counts of theft from a program receiving federal funds and was ordered to pay $389,948.57 in restitution, as well as forfeit $308,817.58.
The Honorable Jeffrey S. White, U.S. District Court Judge, handed down the sentence, which also includes a three-year period of supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Huang is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Vanessa Quant and Stephanie Mitchell, while the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with significant assistance from the University of California Police Department and U.C. Berkeley’s Audit and Advisory Services.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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