A woman wears a teal ribbon during a Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 13, 2019 at the Hannah Administration Building.
Seven arrest warrants have been issued in connection with fraudulent claims to Michigan State's Healing Assistance Fund, according to a press release from the MSU Police Department.
The Ingham County Prosecutor's office has issued 22 felony counts for fraudulent claims totaling over $527,000, the release said.
The press release did not name the seven defendants.
The Healing Assistance Fund was established in December 2017 to provide resources needed for counseling and mental health services to survivors of Larry Nassar's sexual abuse. It was discontinued in December 2018 by former MSU Interim President John Engler, and a new fund was reopened in February.
Police received information about the alleged fraudulent reimbursements in Fall 2018 after reviewing invoices.
"We appreciate MSUPD for being very thorough in its investigation of the reported fraud," University Spokesperson Emily Guerrant said via email. "The Healing Assistance Fund was established in January 2018 to help survivors access mental health and counseling services, and the university remains committed to providing this support. The Board of Trustees continues to work on finalizing a new fund, in the meantime the intermediate fund is still available."
This story was updated on May 14 at 3:30 p.m. to include a statement from Emily Guerrant. Stay with The State News for more updates on this story.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
