Northeastern University to Pay $2.7M in Settlement

Officials say Northeastern University will pay $2.7 million to the federal government after failing to account for research funds it received from 2001 to 2010.

The National Science Foundation awarded the funds to the Boston university to support high-energy particle physics research.

U.S Attorney Carmen Ortiz's office said Tuesday the school repeatedly approved advances and other payments to accounts at the organization controlled by physics professor Stephen Reucroft, without proper justification.

Officials say the school didn't notify the foundation for more than two years when it discovered problems with the accounting for paid award funds and knew that at least some of the money went toward Reucroft's personal expenses.

Reucroft, now retired, didn't respond to The Boston Herald's requests for comment. The university says it's made changes to how it monitors grant money.