Michelle Harris recently entered a plea in Fulton County Superior Court to one count of racketeering, a felony under Georgia law. Attorney General Thurbert Baker indicted Harris in March 2008 after state auditors discovered Harris had used her state-issued purchasing card (P-card) to make numerous personal purchases.
She entered a non-negotiated, or blind, plea, following her decision to withdraw her negotiated plea halfway through the plea hearing in front of Judge John Goger. Judge Goger sentenced her to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of probation. Additionally, the court ordered that restitution would be determined at a later date.
The indictment presented to the grand jury by the Attorney General alleges that Harris, over a period of four years, stole over $170,000 from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Harris was employed as a program coordinator by Georgia Tech’s College of Management. Harris was issued a purchasing card for use in her official duties.
From June 2003 until May 2007, however, Harris illegally used her purchasing card to make personal purchases. The personal charges on Harris’s state issued credit card included car insurance, cellular telephone bills, personal tuition at Georgia State University, college tuition for a member of her family, car repair, tens of thousands of dollars in Sam’s Club gift cards, a diamond ring, and over $4,000 in catering for a wedding reception.
Harris had access to multiple accounts funded with federal and private grants through her position at Georgia Tech, including grants from the National Science Foundation. Georgia Tech has reimbursed those grant accounts for the theft, and all restitution paid by Harris will go directly to Georgia Tech.
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