A former George Washington University professor was arrested Oct. 12 on charges he embezzled more than $600,000 from the university between early 2002 and April 2004.
According to U.S. District Court records, Nabih Bedewi, 41, was charged with one count of embezzlement of federal funds given to the university's National Crash Analysis Center, located on its Virginia campus. The NCAC researches transportation safety, concentrating on vehicles and highways.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 29. If Bedewi is convicted on the embezzlement charge, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
The university began investigating Bedewi in April 2004 when officials learned he had several "conflicts of interest" as director of the National Crash Analysis Center, court records said.
Bedewi embezzled funds designated for the analysis center by awarding stipends to relatives not involved with the university, according to an affidavit from Michael Pugliese, special agent for the Department of Transportation.
Bedewi's lawyer, Robert Trout, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
MaryKay Vielee, the wife of Paul Bedewi, a close relative of Nabih, received more than $36,000 in fraudulent stipend payments from the university, according to court documents. Court records suggest Vielee was collecting the money on behalf of her husband. Paul Bedewi also worked with the NCAC in Virginia but has not been charged with any crimes.
Bedewi also allegedly gave research contracts to his own company, International Transportation Safety Corporation. Documents indicate the corporation received almost $600,000 for payment of services that cannot be verified by invoices or other records. Court reports stated that the corporation's invoices identified fake employees and positions in order to receive funds.
Officials also believe Bedewi used NCAC funds to purchase Redskins tickets, pay off personal loans and bills, and pay for a condominium in Florida.
In the affidavit, Pugliese said Bedewi was responsible for "requesting and approving research, work orders, and equipment purchases," as well as numerous other financial issues for NCAC. As director of a federal research agency, Bedewi was forbidden by law to award contracts to companies he was financially involved with, such as the International Transportation Safety Corporation.
Bedewi was a professor of engineering and applied science from December 1990 until this past June. He resigned two months after the university began investigating his financial records.
According to the university's student newspaper, The Hatchet, Tracy Schiaro, director of media relations, said she could not comment on specifics of the case, but she did anticipate that the relationship between the NCAC and the university would continue.
Construction on new NCAC buildings at the Virginia campus halted in August so the university could re-evaluate the center's research goals, but Schiaro said this was unrelated to the Bedewi investigation.
"We continue to work on parts of the cooperative agreement for the NCAC, and we are optimistic that we will continue with the cooperative agreement in light of this arrest," Schiaro told The Hatchet.
The Department of Transportation funds nearly 80 percent of the NCAC's budget through research grants. Pugliese said the DOT has provided the NCAC with more than $23 million since 1995.
The Department of Transportation could not be reached for comment on the future of the NCAC.
