WASHINGTON - Nicole Shantelle Smith, a former government sub-contractor, was sentenced today to 20 months in prison after pleading guilty to a federal charge stemming from the theft of more than $1.8 million from funds appropriated to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for various construction projects throughout its main campus in Bethesda, Md.
According to the government’s evidence, the stolen money helped cover payments for new homes, high-priced cars, luxury vacations to the Virgin Islands, Hawaii and other destinations,designer clothes and a variety of cosmetic procedures.
The sentencing, which took place this morning in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. and Brian D. Miller, Inspector General, General Services Administration.
