TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A former long-time FSU faculty member has been arrested after a university-initiated investigation revealed he had defrauded the university of approximately $1.2 million.
Mark A. Rodin, who taught digital media production courses in the College of Communication and Information, was also the longtime director of Seminole Productions according to university officials. He was charged with one felony count of organized scheme to defraud and 24 counts of grand theft.
The university said a discovery by university accountants sparked multiple investigations that found Rodin misdirected funds from IMG, the sports marketing firm serving the FSU Athletics Department, and deposited those funds directly into a private bank account Rodin owned.
“Since this wasn’t an FSU contract, we did not know about the improper financial arrangement,” said Vice President for Finance and Administration Kyle Clark. “Mr. Rodin arranged a production deal with IMG directly. The work was carried out on university time with university facilities and materials, but the funds illegally went directly to him, which, in addition to being illegal is also a violation of university policy.
Hired by FSU in 1989, Rodin was placed on administrative leave in July 2019 after administrators were alerted to a problem with accounting records at Seminole Productions. Rodin resigned from his position on Sept. 11, 2019.
Rodin turned himself in to the Leon County Detention Facility on Tuesday.
“The investigation is ongoing,” Clark said, “but we feel believe this was an isolated incident.”
