News and Public Media for North Central Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Police: Two Senior UF Housing Employees Stole $470K In Cash

Beginning in February 2016, two University of Florida housing department employees began stealing $470,000 in funds, university police said in a sworn complaint filed this week.

On Monday, university auditors told police that former UF Housing Director Azfar Mian and Stina Schoneck, associate director of financial services, created a Campus USA Credit Union account, deposited checks written to UF Housing, then withdrew as much as $16,000 in cash at a time.

Mian, investigators say, made 19 withdrawals for $61,000 in March.

Mian is accused in a separate case of using UF funds to buy furniture for himself. He was fired in September. Schoneck, who had been on administrative leave, was to be fired Thursday, according to UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes.

"Violating the trust and authority inherent in their positions," Sikes wrote in a statement, "Schoneck and Mian colluded to circumvent asset protection controls in place at the university. Specifically, they opened a bank account, re-directed and deposited legitimate checks from third-party vendors received by UF Housing and then withdrew cash for their personal use."

UF in the past month fired three other housing employees — Jennifer Andrews, Dirk Smith and Curtis Harris — although none have been criminally charged.

Both were arrested and booked into the Alachua County Jail on Wednesday on a first-degree felony charge of grand larceny. Mian's bond is $500,000, and Schoneck's is $100,000.

Mian earned an annual salary of $145,675 in 2016, and Schoneck earned $80,695.

Ethan is the Managing Editor in the Innovation News Center, home to WUFT News.He is a Pennsylvania native who found a home reporting Florida's stories. Reach him by emailing emagoc@wuft.org or calling 352-294-1525.