Former Facebook DEI employee Barbara Furlow-Smiles, seen here in 2020.
Barbara Furlow-Smiles, seen here in 2020, has pleaded guilty to embezzling funds from Meta.
  • An ex-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategist at Facebook has pleaded guilty to embezzling millions from the company.
  • Barbara Furlow-Smiles ran DEI initiatives at Facebook from 2017 to 2021, according to prosecutors.
  • Federal prosecutors say she recruited former interns, babysitters, and a hair stylist for her kickback scheme.

A former top Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion manager at Facebook has pleaded guilty to embezzling millions from the social media company as part of a sprawling kickback scheme, federal prosecutors announced this week.