MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — Two Middle Tennessee State University students have been indicted after investigators said they stole more than $100,000 from the university over a three-year period.
The TBI said Mohamed Gure and Mohamed Osman were arrested after a joint investigation with the Tennessee Comptroller’s office.
TBI officials said the investigation began in November 2020 when agents were asked to investigate theft allegations involving MTSU’s Somali Student Association and Muslim Student Association. Investigators said Gure and Osman, two leaders of the student groups, are accused of “fraudulently obtaining” more than $114,000 in student activity fee payments from the university.
Both were indicted Tuesday on multiple counts of theft, forgery and criminal simulation. They were booked into the Rutherford County Jail, where Gure’s bond was set at $60,000, and Osmon’s bond was set at $50,000.
You can read the full report from the comptroller's office here.
MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee released the following statement:
"These allegations are disappointing and will be forcefully addressed. I want to thank our administrators and auditors who reported their suspicions to the State Comptroller for review. If proven to be true, we will pursue every appropriate legal and campus judicial action to hold those accountable and recoup the funds.
Furthermore, we have begun corrective actions. We are reviewing how the Student Activity Fee Committee considers funding requests. The committee, which is comprised of six students, two faculty members and an administrator who serves as its coordinator, will take additional steps to ensure future monies are used properly and to confirm the activities fulfill their stated purposes. Faculty advisors of student groups will take a greater role in mentoring, and we have tightened requirements on documentation of expenses.
The overwhelming majority of our student groups, and their leaders, are responsible stewards and diligently follow our rules. Student fees have made possible many beneficial educational and cultural enrichment opportunities, such as the competitions of our award-winning Stock Horse Team, our national champion Blue Raider Debate Team and NASA-honored moon buggies built by our Society for Automotive Engineers. These and many other activities add considerable value to our educational experience. We must ensure the wise and prudent use of these resources so that future, and appropriate, enrichment opportunities continue."
