Ex-Administrative Assistant Pleads Guilty to Stealing $400K from Law School
A former administrative assistant at American University’s Washington College of Law is scheduled to be sentenced in September to stealing nearly $400,000 from the school.
Martine Tavakoli, 49, stole the money over a six-year period beginning in 2003, federal prosecutors say in a press release (PDF). The National Law Journal and NBCWashington.com also have stories. The scheme began when Tavakoli was promoted to coordinator for the school’s law journals, including the American University Law Review.
Tavakoli deposited checks destined for the law journals into a secret bank account she created for that purpose, prosecutors say, and used the money to pay her rent, credit card bills and other personal expenses.
Tavakoli, who lives in McLean, Va., pleaded guilty on Thursday to interstate transportation of stolen property. As part of the agreement, she will pay restitution of $399,529.
