South Florida’s white collar crime scene extends beyond the classic tax evasion on multimillion dollar beachfront homes and money laundering for international drug shipments. In fact, it even extends into the education system, with one of the state’s most prestigious private universities coming under the limelight a few years ago following the conviction of their Finance Director in a multimillion dollar embezzlement case.
Kimberly Jean Miller, a former employee of the University of Miami, pleaded guilty to four counts of tax evasion in 2016 for failing to report over $2.3 million of funds she stole from the university. During her ten year tenure as Director of Finance for UM’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), Miller had falsified financial records and vendor invoices that should have gone to a company called International Assets.
According to a report by the South Florida Business Journal, Miller was able to redirect funds into her own pockets by altering “the name on the invoices so checks would be written to “Inter, Inc.” and then be returned to RSMAS. Miller would then deposit the checks into a business bank account she opened in 1993 for Intercontinental Oceans Inc., according to a court document”.
An internal RSMAS audit revealed gaping holes in the university’s financial records which had not been reported to the IRS and eventually led back to Miller. In August 2016, Miller was sentenced to “37 months in prison, to be followed by 1 year of supervised release”, according to a press release by the Department of Justice.
Though the university itself was not charged for any involvement in the tax evasion scheme, the case did have a negative effect on the school’s reputation. If you suspect that an employee of your company or organization is involved in any illicit affairs, it’s vital to consult with a defense attorney to mitigate the situation and avoid your company’s reputation from being tarnished. Give us a call at Padula Law to schedule a confidential consultation with our team.
