Defrauding Research Funding: electromagnetic analysis scientists learn values the hard way!

Ethics in science is very important because we want our resources being used for exactly what they are expected to be used for. It is important to remember that fraud and cheating end up costing the rest of society some serious money. Those are resources that can be used in other places to solve other national problems. Researchers should always seek to maintain a higher standard of integrity. 

Grants are important for funding new innovative research and it is necessary to have some level of oversight to ensure the money is being spent accurately. What I find interesting about this is that despite their high education it didn't seem to impact their values. I wonder how they thought at some point someone isn't going to ask about these expenses. 

While, depending on study design and department need, there could be use for things like cameras or a other few pieces of equipment I would doubt the private hunting club would make that list. 

"$200,000 in personal expenses on Fraley’s PCard, including, two four-wheelers and a trailer, two Sony 52-inch flat-screen televisions, Apple computers, iPads, OtterBox protective cases, iPods, Kindle E-readers, Leica and Nikon digital cameras, video cameras, a mini micro pinhole video camcorder pen, a night vision monocular, two pairs of binoculars, Bose headphones, a 3D printer, sports watches with heart-rate monitors, sunglasses, materials used to perform private consulting contracts, computer monitors and solar panels for a private hunting club, a personal video network for home use, and an uninterruptible power supply for a tennis ball machine."

When I have worked with grants typically you would be required to submit budget updates and outline many of these expenses prior to approval. However, in normal large research grants you may have other expenses that come up that are not initially planned so cash equivalent resources are often needed. Stealing on this level would seem sort of obvious you are going to get caught. 

Notice they also engaged in violation of the consulting policy and used private labs for personal gain. It appears they were on a roll with the self enrichment. Either way, its a good catch.

Former chief scientist for GTRI pleads guilty to conspiring to defraud Georgia Tech and the CIA