Harvard employee uses 80k in university funds for Legos and iPads
September 24, 2015 in News by RBN
A Harvard employee has been charged with stealing an estimated $80,000 from the university and spending it on Lego sets and a variety of gadgets for his home in Watham, Massachusetts.
Shawn Bunn, 44, former computer lab manager and employee of Harvard for 17 years, is being accused of using his university-issued credit card to pay for $80k worth of personal items. The allegations led to Harvard University Police raiding his home, where they found Lego sets, televisions, a table saw, garbage disposal, and multiple iPads.
According to the district attorney’s office, the investigation for theft commenced after the Harvard Risk Management and Audit Services Department conducted a review of its finances earlier this year and the inconsistencies eventually led them to Bunn. Authorities believe he had made hundreds of purchases over a four-year time span.
Harvard requires employees who have a university-issued credit card to submit a receipt and a written description for the nature of the purchase when exceeding $75. Authorities say he had submitted false receipts that did not match up with the items in his department.
Charges being filed against Bunn include larceny, false entry in corporate books, and using forged documents in Woburn Superior Court.
District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement,
“This is a breach of trust by a school employee. Over a period of four years, the defendant is alleged to have made personal purchases in excess of $80,000 therefore diverting resources from the students and faculty of Harvard University.”
Bunn was released after his arraignment with a fitted tracking device and is scheduled to be back in court October 28th to explain his side of the story.
