Apr 02, 2014 09:13 PM EDT By Jaleesa Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

A Morgan State University professor was convicted Tuesday for defrauding the National Science Foundation and his students, The Baltimore Sun reported.

Manoj Kumar Jha, 46, of Severn, Md., was convicted in federal court for stealing funds from students and for fraudulently obtaining National Science Foundation research grants. He faces 20 years for each of four counts of wire fraud, and for one count each of mail fraud, falsification of records. He faces up to 10 years in prison for theft of government property. 

Morgan State University released a statement that it has "stepped up its efforts to identify the potential for this kind of activity in the future" and is reviewing its next steps."

"The University cooperated fully with the federal investigation into this matter and largely because of the investigatory efforts of NSF we believe we are now in a better position to enhance our systems to detect this type of behavior in the future," the statement said.

According to the trial testimony, Jha, who was the director of the school's Center for Advanced Transportation and Infrastructure Research, obtained $200,000 in grant funds from the National Science Foundation's Small Business Technology Transfer program in 2008 and 2009 for a highway project. Prosecutors said he used the money for personal expenses.

Jha also attempted to obtain another $500,000 through the same program.

Prosecutors said Jha falsified expenditure reports and time sheets to cover his track amid a routine review of federal spending in 2011.

Jha pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He was also responsible for overseeing another $100,000 in U.S. Department of Defense grants that was to be distributed to students working on contracts associated with the money. Jha reportedly falsely told students that they needed to return a portion of the stipends to him, "and prosecutors said some students returned about $36,000 in stipend funds to him, which he deposited in his personal bank account," the Baltimore Sun reported.

Jha is the second Morgan State University employee to face charges this year. Last month, Robert Lee Terrell, director of the university's Restricted Funds Accounting office, was accused of stealing $66,000 in state funds.

Terrell is scheduled to be arraigned later this month.

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