Wednesday, March 9, 2011
News Two professors accused of pulling a fast one on GA Tech
Posted by Gwynedd Stuart @gwynnstu on Wed, Mar 9, 2011 at 4:44 PM
Julie Jacko and Francois Sainfort, husband-and-wife college professors who taught at Georgia Tech, were indicted by Fulton County Grand Jury today for attempting to defraud the university.
Jacko and Sainfort are accused of conspiring to simultaneously earn full-time salaries from both Tech and the University of Minnesota (where it would appear they're still employed), lying about the dual employment, fraudulently billing the school for bogus travel expenses and routing school money to Jacko's brother Robert (who was also indicted for fraud).
According to their U of M staff bios — which were the first search results associated with their names on Google — both Jacko and Sainfort are professors of health policy. Sainfort included his tenure as Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary Programs at Tech as part of his professional experience. He says he was employed at Tech from 2003-2007, but a 2008 article in the Minneapolis-St.Paul Star Tribune indicates that he and his wife were still on staff at that time. They both started at U of M in 2007 — and were making pretty good money:
Sainfort was receiving $20,000 for his administrative duties in addition to his $265,000 annual salary. Jacko's base salary is $204,000, and she was receiving $12,000 for her administrative duties.
A press release from the law firm that represents the couple defends them:
“The facts show that the professors worked tirelessly during that time for Georgia Tech, thereby earning this money, and made no secret that they were leaving the University,” said Martin B. Goldberg, an attorney at Lash & Goldberg, who has represented the professors during the investigation. “Indeed, despite Georgia Tech’s allegations of fraud and secrecy, the University actually held a ‘going away party’ for the professors ... Drs. Sainfort and Jacko are devastated by this attempt to criminalize their decision to leave Georgia Tech, yet they remain steadfast and committed to addressing their innocence through the judicial process."
For the charges against him, Sainfort is facing up to 165 years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $1,044,00. Jacko faces up to 115 years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $902,000.
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