November 20, 2008 WPI professor accused of taking part in scam Play video

(Jennifer Eagan, NECN: Worcester, MA) - An award winning Worcester Polytech professor is accused of being part of a scam that ripped off more than a million dollars from the juvenile diabetes research foundation in New York.

According to the Manhattan district attorney's office...Robert Krueger helped himself to more than twenty thousand dollars through the scheme.

Here's how the alleged scam worked.

Jonathan Stenger...who ran the organization's magazine...accepted bogus invoices from Krueger and four other men.

According to the DA's office...Krueger filed invoices for supplying paper to the magazine and printing other materials in 2007.

Stenger would pay Krueger through the organization and the two would share the cash.

The DA's office says late in 2007...Krueger submitted invoices for even more money...but the foundation never paid him because they had become suspicious of the scheme.

Krueger's lawyer says...

The charges against Jonathan Stenger suggest that he misled JDRF for years and was equally capable of misleading Mr. Krueger. It was Mr. Krueger who made JDRF aware of transactions at issue...sometimes the government casts too wide a net.

He also says Krueger returned all of the money to the organization.

WPI wouldn't comment on the case.

One student says the assistant professor is still working at the school.

“He comes away as being misled...but we're all skeptical with what he's

Students are surprised a noted professor would take part in a scam.

“I think a lot of kids are surprised that a Prof. would do something like this.”

“A lot of profs here are very honorable people...I’m really surprised someone would be willing to do that.”