Former employee charged with wire fraud

An alumna and former university employee is charged with stealing more than $104,000 from the university.

Lisa Riggs was charged Sept. 18 with wire fraud in the western district of Oklahoma.

Riggs was the executive assistant to former OCU President Tom McDaniel, to a vice president and to the dean of Meinders School of Business.

Riggs also was an adviser for Alpha Phi sorority during part of her time at OCU, said Lee Hall, director of student life.

“She is not the current adviser and has not been for a number of years,” Hall said.

Alpha Phi National Headquarters also is investigating Riggs, said Emily Ousley, Alpha Phi president. Carri Hicks, Alpha Phi chapter adviser, refused Monday to comment. Representatives from Alpha Phi Headquarters were unavailable Monday.

OCU issued Riggs three separate credit cards during her tenure, according to the affidavit.

Riggs is charged with spending more than $104,000 on unauthorized purchases including gas, groceries, apparel, travel, wireless phone service, and payments on her Oklahoma Pikepass account between May 2004 and November 2011, according to the affidavit.

The credit cards were for OCU-related expenses.

Riggs also ignored the request for an audit and did not provide documentation of her purchases, according to the affidavit.

Oklahoma City-based defense attorney Mack Martin refused Monday to comment on the case.

President Robert Henry addressed the issue in an email Friday, stating that concerns about embezzlement surfaced in late 2011.

“OCU worked with law enforcement officials as the scope of the problem widened and as required by our insurance provider in order to recoup university losses,” the email reads.

This situation led to a significant reduction in the number of university issued credit cards in circulation, Henry’s email read.

Former president McDaniel and Lisa Riggs were unavailable for comment on Monday.

Riggs could face up to 20 years in prison and a fine of no more than $250,000, if convicted.

Riggs is married to John Riggs, alum and former dean of students.