Dive Brief:
- Ephonia Green, an administrative assistant for the Associate of American Medical Colleges, embezzled $5.1 million from the District of Columbia nonprofit since 2005.
- An eight-page "criminal information" document reveals the charges against the 44-year-old, who paid out nearly $1.4 million of the stolen funds to her own bridal business, Couture Miss Bridal & Formal, with 74 checks.
- Green allegedly registered company trade names and opened bank accounts closely resembling those of the association's legitimate vendors, using her access to key financial systems to create fake invoices in legitimate organizations' names before having the checks returned to herself.
Dive Insight:
In one instance, Green allegedly created close to 200 fake invoices for the Brookings Institution policy center, depositing $3.7 million in checks into her own "Brookings Institute" accounts. To make matters worse, the stolen money may have helped fund Green's wedding gown donations to military brides. Court documents indicate a plea deal may be near. The Association of American Medical Colleges administers the MCAT and represents accredited medical schools and teaching hospitals.