BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — A former Western Kentucky University professor pleaded guilty to stealing $236,000 from the school.
Matthew Dettman, 52, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Thursday, Sept. 27, reported The Daily News in Bowling Green.
A judge released him on his own recognizance and scheduled a sentencing hearing for Jan. 9. Dettman faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
A plea agreement said local construction companies were to pay WKU's engineering department to test concrete and soil, but Dettman diverted $236,000 of those payments for his personal use between 2006 and 2017.
The school put Dettman on unpaid leave last year while the FBI investigated him. He resigned in December.
The agreement says Dettman will return the money to the school
