KHOU11 reports….
HOUSTON — A former assistant dean at the TSU law school is accused of abusing his power to line his pockets.
Edward Wayne Rene, 52, is charged with theft by a public servant after masterminding a scheme to steal from the university, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg says.
Rene allegedly awarded double tuition scholarships to at least two students, then made them return the extra money, which he kept.
“He abused his power for personal profit and his actions hurt the school and the students,” Kim Ogg said.
Rene was an assistant dean of admissions and financial aid at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at the time.
The TSU Board of Regents alerted the DA’s office following an internal investigation. The FBI took over from there.“Public corruption is the top criminal priority for the FBI,” said Perrye K. Tuner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Houston Division. “While rooting out public corruption is exceptionally difficult, the FBI’s success in investigating this violation is due largely to the cooperation and coordination from our federal, state and local law enforcement partners.”
If convicted, Rene, who joined the TSU law school in 1999, faces a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison because he was a public official.
