UGA Greek Life Embezzelment

[BossLadyAKA]

The more I read, the wilder the story got. My goodness! I can't even buy two cups of coffee with my company card without a thorough explanation and description of charges attached.

[ta kala]

I was wondering if this story would get shared here. I worked in the GLO for two years during that time frame. While I am shocked that Lasina would do this, the oversight piece is not surprising. I don't have vivid memories of lack of oversight or anything on Claudia's part, but can totally see how Lasina was given complete control over those accounts.

Such a sad ending. Those who I've talked to and knew the people involved are all shocked.

[AnchorAlumna]

This is shocking.
And from so many different perspectives.
Why did Ms. Shamp never review bank accounts? Did the Panhellenic or IFC treasurers evern able to look at bank statements? If there were supposed to be UGA rules regarding the money, why were they ignored?
Why was UGA so reluctant to send out any news of this? Well, I can understand why, but apparently the Red & Black had to pull teeth to get any info. Good for them.
During my years as a reporter, I always wondered how some reporters could ferret out financial shenanigans. Heck, one of the reasons I became a reporter was because I was no good any any kind of math, much less reading financial statements.

[33girl]

At least she stole the least money from the sick children’s fund? Sorry, that’s all I got.

Unless you are someone with a deep-seeded grudge running a long con, I don’t know how people do something like this and wake up and go through life every day.

[ASTalumna06]

What in the actual F?! Sticky notes? Blank checks? No budget? Zero oversight? Are you kidding me?

In early July, a report of theft was filed with the UGA Police Department. As police began interviewing members of the Greek Life Office (GLO) and Evans’ family, other officers, along with the university’s Internal Auditing Division, sifted through a decade of bank statements, receipts, checks and expenses. The investigation revealed that Shamp, Assistant Greek Life Director Elizabeth Pittard and other staff never set budgets or tracked expenses, with “misplaced trust,” often relying on verbal confirmation from Evans or numbers written on sticky notes.
.....

Pittard told investigators Evans would sometimes write the available funds in the Panhellenic Council account on a sticky note and leave it on her desk. Evans would tell Pittard the PHC “broke even” when they discussed funds after sorority recruitment, according to UGAPD documents.

The July 29 IAD report said Shamp failed to provide “any form of monitoring procedures over the financial activity of GLO.” There were no budgets for the organizations managed by the GLO, and no mechanism to monitor and investigate unusual activity.

Blank checks Shamp and Pittard signed were later found to have been made out to Evans. Neither supervisor reviewed bank statements — Shamp told police she simply trusted Evans, whom she worked with for almost 20 years.

Bank statements also listed “a large number of purchases” from stores such as T.J. Maxx, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Big Lots, Target, Kroger, Sam’s Club, Walmart and various department stores totaling about $156,000 that “appear to be unauthorized” on the IFC, PHC and UGA Miracle accounts.
.....

Evans made 323 ATM transactions from the PHC account, 361 transactions from the IFC account and 64 transactions from the UGA Miracle account. Of the 748 ATM transactions, 713 were for the maximum amount of $600. Video files from Synovus ATMs indicate Evans made multiple cash withdrawals from the Tate Plaza Synovus ATM, just a short walk from the GLO in the Tate Student Center.
......

Mason Black, assistant director of the GLO and adviser to the IFC, was not an authorized check signer on any accounts, but he told investigators he shared his purchasing card with students who wanted to make IFC-related purchases, and did not review the purchases.

[lake]

I'm always interested (and amazed) when I read stories about embezzlement cases because it's always the same story over and over again: A trusted employee and absolutely no oversight by anyone in the organization. This happens all the time, whether it's a business, church, non-profit, whatever, it's always the same scenario.

What I want to know is why the so-called Director was allowed to "retire" and the so-called Assistant Director was allowed to "resign"? Why weren't they both fired?

[thetalady]

Originally Posted by lake

What I want to know is why the so-called Director was allowed to "retire" and the so-called Assistant Director was allowed to "resign"? Why weren't they both fired?

AMEN!!!! They should both have been fired immediately. I wish they could be prosecuted for dereliction of duty. I just hope the school can get back some of the embezzled funds.

[AnchorAlumna]

Originally Posted by thetalady

AMEN!!!! They should both have been fired immediately. I wish they could be prosecuted for dereliction of duty. I just hope the school can get back some of the embezzled funds.

They can probably sell the cars for some money. The remodeled house maybe. Looks like most of it was just p!ssed away on Starbucks and crap.