Fri Feb 28 22:50:00 UTC 2025: ## UConn Professor Charged with Larceny After Allegedly Misusing $50,000 in University Funds for Personal Travel

**STORRS, CT –** A University of Connecticut (UConn) professor, Sherry Lynn Zane, 56, of Hebron, has been arrested and charged with first-degree larceny after an internal investigation revealed she allegedly misused over $50,000 in university and grant funds for personal travel.

The year-long investigation, initiated by an anonymous tip, uncovered 19 trips Zane took between 2021 and 2023, totaling 187 days. These trips, which included multiple visits to Disney World with her family, extensive travel to Ireland (including her daughter’s wedding), and other personal vacations, were allegedly falsely justified as research-related. The university paid for a portion or the entirety of these trips, totaling $58,084. Twelve of these trips occurred while Zane was teaching classes.

The investigation found Zane allegedly submitted misleading or false information on travel request forms, often engaging in activities unrelated to her claimed research purposes. Examples include citing “research” at Disney World, claiming to visit archives she never attended, and using university funds for a family wedding and personal caregiving. She allegedly also failed to obtain necessary approvals for a consulting agreement with a film company, further complicating the misuse of funds.

Zane allegedly provided inconsistent explanations for her travel, at times referring to the trips as “vacations” to students while simultaneously claiming research-related justifications to the university. Investigators discovered altered or fabricated receipts and evidence suggesting she deliberately concealed the true nature of her trips.

Following the completion of the report on November 14, 2024, Zane was placed on administrative leave. A warrant for her arrest was issued on February 4, 2025, and she turned herself in on February 13th, being released on a $10,000 bond. She appeared in Rockville Superior Court on Monday, February 19th, and the case was continued until April 4th. Zane has not yet entered a plea. The university is also conducting its own disciplinary process.

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