On October 6, 2020, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York announced a prison sentence in the case of Geoffrey Girnun, a cancer researcher at Stony Brook University’s Department of Pathology of Medicine. Girnun pled guilty in January 2020 for theft of government funds related to a grant he received to research the effect of certain molecules on cancer. As part of his guilty plea, Girnun agreed to forfeit $225,000 and resign from his position at Stony Brook University. Girnun faced a potential ten-year sentence for his actions.
In addition to the sentence handed down by United States District Judge Denis R. Hurley – one year and one day in prison – Girnun was ordered to pay restitution to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Stony Brook University in the amount of $225,000.
According to the United States Department of Justice, Girnun formed two sham companies in 2013 and 2017 – Atlas Metabolomics, LLC (Atlas) and Empyrean Biosciences, LLC (Empyrean) – respectively, that allegedly provided research items and equipment for Girnun’s cancer-related research projects. From roughly December 2013 to approximately September 2019, Girnun submitted fraudulent electronic invoices to Stony Brook University for payment to one of his two sham companies for equipment, goods, and services that were not received or provided. Stony Brook would then use grants from the NIH or the university’s grant and foundation funds to pay the sham companies more than $200,000. Girnun supposedly defrauded NIH of $78,000 in grant funding and $147,000 in grant/foundation funds from Stony Brook University.
Girnun would then withdraw the fraudulently obtained funds from Atlas and Empyrean’s bank accounts and used the money for his personal expenses, including mortgage payments for his home and school tuition for his children.
“The defendant’s theft of cancer research funds undermined the important mission of the National Institute of Health, Stony Brook University and his fellow researchers, who are dedicated to curing this deadly illness,” stated Acting United States Attorney DuCharme. “In connection with today’s sentence, which provides punishment for his offense, the defendant also will be required to pay back every penny he diverted from the fight against cancer.”
“Stealing cancer research funds solely to line your own pockets is an outrageous crime. Today’s sentence demonstrates that society will not tolerate fraudsters like Dr. Girnun, who will pay for his greed-fueled scheme,” stated HHS-OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Lampert. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate such fraud and bring perpetrators to justice.”
Interestingly, Dr. Girnun did not seem to have worked with the pharmaceutical industry and does not have any records in the Open Payments database.