Report: NASA Employee Stole More Than $150,000
POSTED: Thursday, July 26, 2007
UPDATED: 5:17 pm EDT July 26,
2007
 |
A former NASA employee is accused of stealing more than $150,000 from government coffers, according to a report released Thursday.
Report: Drunken Astronauts Posed Risk
Elizabeth Ann Osborne, 52, who resigned in October after 31 years at the space agency, pleaded guilty to embezzling public money as part of an agreement made with the U.S. Attorney's Office on July 17, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported. "I'm feeling shock and disbelief," said Kim Myrick, who worked alongside Osborne at Kennedy Space Center for several years. According to court documents, Osborne admitted to using her Bank of America government credit card for 426 fraudulent transactions. The cards were issued by NASA to employees for use on all purchases of $2,500 and below. Osborne has yet to be sentenced. She will have to pay back the money she stole and she may be sentenced to prison, as well.
Report: Drunken Astronauts Posed Risk Elizabeth Ann Osborne, 52, who resigned in October after 31 years at the space agency, pleaded guilty to embezzling public money as part of an agreement made with the U.S. Attorney's Office on July 17, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported. "I'm feeling shock and disbelief," said Kim Myrick, who worked alongside Osborne at Kennedy Space Center for several years. According to court documents, Osborne admitted to using her Bank of America government credit card for 426 fraudulent transactions. The cards were issued by NASA to employees for use on all purchases of $2,500 and below. Osborne has yet to be sentenced. She will have to pay back the money she stole and she may be sentenced to prison, as well.
Computer Sabotaged
A space program worker deliberately damaged a computer that is supposed to fly aboard shuttle Endeavour in less than two weeks, an act of sabotage that was caught before the equipment was loaded onto the spaceship, NASA said on Thursday. The unidentified employee, who works for a NASA subcontractor, cut wires inside the computer that is supposed to be delivered to the International Space Station by Endeavour, said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's space operations chief. The worker also damaged a similar computer that was not meant to fly to space. "Some wires were cut on the inside of the unit," Gerstenmaier said. "It is currently being investigated by the inspector general's office." The sabotage occurred outside of Florida. Gerstenmaier did not identify the subcontractor or where the damage took place. NASA's inspector general office is investigating. NASA hopes to fix the computer and launch it Aug. 7, as planned, aboard Endeavour. The computer is designed for use aboard the space station, not the shuttle, and the damage would have posed no danger to either shuttle or station astronauts, Gerstenmaier said. Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Previous Stories:
- July 26, 2007: Report: Intoxicated Astronauts Posed Safety Risk On Space Shuttle
- July 20, 2007: NASA Studies Shuttle O-Ring Seal Issue
- July 13, 2007: Shuttle's Name Misspelled On NASA Launch Pad Sign
- July 11, 2007: Shuttle Endeavour Moves To Launch Pad
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