Two Middle Tennessee State University students were arrested and charged with stealing more than $114,000 from student organizations, according to authorities.
The students, Mohamed Gure and Mohamed Osman, were charged with one count each of theft over $60,000, two counts each of criminal simulation, and numerous counts of forgery. Gure was also charged with one count of theft over $10,000.
Authorities allege that Gure and Osman, both 22, stole student activity fee payments while they were the heads of the school's Somali Student Association and Muslim Student Association, according to a news release by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The agency said it began assisting the state's Comptroller's Office with the investigation in November 2020 after theft allegations involving two student organizations at the school.
"During the investigation, authorities developed information indicating two leaders of the student groups were responsible for fraudulently obtaining more than $114,000 in Student Activity Fee payments from the university over a three-year period," the release states.
The public university in Murfreesboro said the allegations were "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," a school spokesperson said.
"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."
The school said Gure and Osman are still enrolled in the university. They are being held at the Rutherford County Jail. Gure’s bond was set at $60,000, and Osmon’s was set at $50,000. It's not clear if they have obtained attorneys.
