UConn professor arrested for misusing $58K in funds

A professor from the University of Connecticut has been arrested for allegedly misusing university funds. Sherry Zane is accused of using university and grant money to pay for personal trips, totaling over $58,000. She reportedly submitted fake receipts to get reimbursed for more than a dozen trips, some of which were international. The university stated that Zane edited handwritten documents and photoshopped receipts to justify her expenses. Most of the trips claimed to be for research purposes, but evidence shows she did not provide much documented work from those travels. Some trips included personal vacations, like a trip to Disney with her children. Zane has been placed on administrative leave and turned herself in to the police in February after a warrant was issued for her arrest. She now faces first-degree larceny charges. Her attorney claims that she did not steal from the university and plans to plead not guilty. In light of this situation, UConn is improving its expense reporting process. Officials are implementing more rigorous approval steps for larger expenses to help prevent similar incidents in the future. Financial fraud is a concern in many workplaces, and it's important for organizations to maintain transparency in expense processes to help spot and avoid misuse.