A former diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leader who once spearheaded corporate initiatives at tech and athletics giants like Facebook and Nike has been sentenced to over five years in prison. Barbara Furlow-Smiles’ lavish lifestyle of luxury portraits, preschool tuition, and other extravagances across California and Georgia came at a steep price – she siphoned over $5 million from the companies through an intricate fraud scheme, involving multiple fraudulent invoices, including several targeting a corporate “Juneteenth” event.
The 63-month sentence, handed down by Judge Steven Grimberg on Monday, was coupled with an order for Furlow-Smiles to repay the full $5,102,838.08 she stole. In a tearful courtroom address, the former DEI executive claimed she was fighting for her life after admitting guilt in the sophisticated fraud last December.
The scheme began in 2017 during Furlow-Smiles’ tenure at Facebook. She abused her authority over corporate finances to illegally fund her opulent desires. Even after transitioning to Nike, the illicit money trail continued, with over $121,000 pilfered from the athletics brand.
While her defense portrayed the pressure of being a sole breadwinner in a high cost-of-living area as a driving factor, prosecutors emphasized the calculated, repetitive nature of Furlow-Smiles’ crimes. The fraud persisted relentlessly despite her well-compensated positions, which led her to think she was, in the judge’s words, “untouchable.”
Friends and family flanked Furlow-Smiles at sentencing, advocating for leniency and underscoring her positive character contributions. However, the judge noted the crimes’ intentional, “brazen” ongoing pattern and the detrimental impact they had on the companies she worked for – as well as the self-righteous causes she believed in.
Though granted a temporary reprieve to receive medical treatment and spend the summer with loved ones before incarceration begins, Furlow-Smiles must report to prison on July 22. She remains under supervision until then, her road to restitution and rehabilitation just beginning.
The sentencing delivers a stern rebuke to Furlow-Smiles’ personal transgressions, and stands as a record of the damage DEI hires and woke beliefs can cause companies.