Dive Brief:
- Two professors at the University of Houston have been charged with conspiracy, making false statements, and wire fraud as part of an alleged scheme to win more than $1 million in federal research grant money.
- The physics professors, Abdelhak Bensaoula and David Starikov, are accused of lying on their applications for federal grants and on claims for payment after they were awarded grants or contracts.
- From 2008 through 2013, the professors and the small business they started together allegedly received $1.3 million on at least five Small Business Innovation Resource contracts.
Dive Insight:
The professors also received contracts from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Air Force. A federal indictment accuses the pair of using false and fraudulent letters of support, and lying about facilities, equipment, and materials. Among the alleged lies: The professors falsely claimed in four contracts that their company would pay a fee to the University of Houston. The university is calling itself a victim of fraud in the case.
