Atlanta Men Plead Guilty in $1.4 Million Fraud Scheme With Former Facebook DEI Executive
ATLANTA – Two Atlanta-area men have admitted their roles in a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme involving a former Facebook executive, highlighting the risks companies face when internal oversight is exploited for personal gain.
Brice E. Anderson, 31, of Fairburn, Georgia, and Terrance Lockett, 52, of College Park, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiring with Barbara Furlow-Smiles, a former diversity program manager at Facebook, to defraud the company through fraudulent invoices, fake vendors, and cash kickbacks.
Furlow-Smiles, who previously held high-level positions overseeing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs at Facebook and later at Nike, orchestrated a scheme in which she directed payments to friends, family, and associates for work that was never performed. Anderson and Lockett then returned a portion of those payments to Furlow-Smiles as kickbacks.
According to prosecutors, Anderson’s company, Titan Branding LLC, received nearly $1.2 million from Facebook for services that were never provided. He funneled substantial amounts of that money back to Furlow-Smiles, sometimes sending cash wrapped in items like T-shirts or driving with her to ATMs to withdraw the funds.
Lockett, through his company Officially Outed Media, conspired to steal over $243,000 from Facebook using a similar method, paying a portion of the fraudulent proceeds back to Furlow-Smiles. Both men are scheduled for sentencing in 2026: Lockett on February 18 and Anderson on March 9.
Furlow-Smiles, 40, of Marietta, Georgia, had previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud, stealing more than $5 million from Facebook and Nike combined. In May 2024, she was sentenced to five years and three months in prison and ordered to pay over $5.1 million in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg emphasized, “These defendants conspired with a DEI executive at Facebook to steal significant sums from the company. They are now being held accountable for their brazen fraud.” FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown added, “The FBI remains steadfast in rooting out financial fraud and holding those responsible accountable.”
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Bernita B. Malloy and investigated by the FBI.
This case serves as a reminder of the importance of corporate oversight and the consequences of abusing trusted positions for personal gain.
