Rachel Konieczny//January 22, 2025//
Former legislative aide charged with theft for allegedly stealing scholarship funds
Rachel Konieczny//January 22, 2025//
A former legislative aide to Sen. William Smith, Jr. has been indicted for allegedly stealing $20,000 in scholarship funds from the senator’s office for use towards her own educational institution.
In an indictment filed Wednesday in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, prosecutors charged Esther Dikongue with felony theft scheme, felony theft and unauthorized access to a computer system for stealing funds allocated for legislative scholarships.
The indictment alleges Dikongue awarded herself a senatorial scholarship by advising the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), the organization that disburses scholarships to scholarship recipients, that she was one of the students selected to receive scholarship funds in the amount of $10,000 through Smith’s selection process, despite Dikongue never having submitted a scholarship application.
According to the indictment, Dikongue continued to log onto Smith’s email account after her employment ended in March 2023 to send emails from Smith’s senatorial email to MHEC indicating Smith’s office authorizes her scholarship be moved from the spring of 2025 to the summer semester of 2024. Dikongue allegedly emailed MHEC three separate times after her employment with Smith’s office had ended, using the signature lines of other legislative aides.
The Maryland Senatorial Scholarship is awarded, through legislative delegations by specific districts, to Maryland residents planning to pursue a postsecondary education at qualifying colleges. According to the indictment, Maryland state senators are provided an annual budget for the scholarships, with each senator having the discretion to determine selection criteria for student award recipients and the division of scholarship amounts among awarded students.
Smith created a scholarship committee comprised of community volunteers who review scholarship applications and make recommendations to Smith regarding the student awards.
To qualify for a Maryland Senatorial Scholarship from Smith’s office, a student must reside in Smith’s legislative district and must either attend a Maryland college or provide documentation that an out-of-state school offers a qualifying unique major not available through a Maryland school. According to the indictment, students must also write an essay responding to questions provided by Smith.
Once a scholarship award is made to a student, MHEC automatically renews the same amount for subsequent school terms until the student obtains their degree, according to the indictment.
Smith’s average scholarship award amounts range from $500 to $1,500 per student, with Smith awarding more than $1,500 only under rare circumstances, the indictment states.
Thomas J. Maronick, counsel for Dikongue, said in a phone call Wednesday that he and his client have been in contact with the state prosecutor’s office “for some time” regarding the matter.
“We look forward to our day in court where we feel confident we will be able to achieve a favorable resolution in these matters,” Maronick said.
Charlton T. Howard III, Maryland state prosecutor, announced the charges against Dikongue Wednesday.
“Ensuring that tax-payer funds are used for their intended purpose is an essential aspect of preserving public trust in our government institutions,” Howard said in a news release. “Our office will continue to seek to hold individuals accountable who violate that public trust for their personal gain.”
Smith’s office did not immediately return The Daily Record’s request for comment.
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