A Drexel University professor was arrested and charged with two felonies after reportedly redirecting $189,000 in research grants from the university into his own account.
According to the NY Daily News, Chikaodinaka Nwankpa, 57, spent the grant money on strippers, sports bars, iTunes, and more. Nwankpa is the former head of Drexel’s computer engineering department and was charged with theft by unlawful taking and theft by deception for his actions.
Nwankpa’s arrest comes more than three months after Drexel paid back the U.S government for improper use of the research grants after being made aware of the professor’s reckless spending.
The money was initially meant for energy and naval technology research. Still, between the years of 2007 and 2017, Nwankpa repurposed the funds for strip clubs and iTunes purchases, among other things that were labeled as “goods and services.”
Drexel didn’t discover what Nwankpa was doing the funds until an internal university audit discovered the fraud that was taking place.
Nwankpa was not criminally charged at the time of the discovery, instead paying Drexel back $53,000 and resigning from his position at the university.