COLUMBUS, Ohio — Three men, including a former Ohio State University employee, have pleaded guilty to federal charges in a scheme involving the fraudulent sale of surplus university assets, costing the university at least $650,000 in lost revenue.
Michael Brammer, 59, of Pataskala, a former employee in Ohio State’s surplus department from 2007 to 2020, admitted to conspiring to commit federal program fraud. Court documents state Brammer falsely classified used university assets, such as computers, as recyclable and sold them at artificially low prices to two recycling vendors, Abraham Amira, 60, and Robert Howard, 73, both of Columbus. In exchange, Amira and Howard paid Brammer at least $650,000 in cash kickbacks, funds that should have gone to the university’s surplus department.
Ohio State received over $10,000 annually in federal grants during the conspiracy, making the scheme a federal offense. Amira, who pleaded guilty on Monday, also admitted to separate wire fraud charges for fraudulently obtaining and spending over $800,000 from COVID-19 relief programs. Brammer and Howard previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit federal program fraud.
Conspiracy to commit federal program fraud carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, while wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years. Sentencing for the defendants will be determined at a future hearing based on advisory sentencing guidelines and statutory factors.