BALTIMORE, MD—A former Maryland State Senate legislative aide has been charged with felony theft and unauthorized access to a computer system for stealing legislative scholarship funds, according to Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III.

Esther Dikongue is accused of using her position to allocate $20,000 in scholarship funds from a state senator’s office to her own educational institution. The funds were intended for students attending Maryland colleges or Maryland students attending colleges out-of-state for programs unavailable in Maryland.

Dikongue allegedly continued to access the senator’s email after her employment ended to ensure she received the scholarship funds.

“Ensuring that tax-payer funds are used for their intended purpose is an essential aspect of preserving public trust in our government institutions,” said Howard. “Our Office will continue to seek to hold individuals accountable who violate that public trust for their personal gain.”

Dikongue faces charges of felony theft scheme, felony theft, and unauthorized access to a computer system. Individuals are presumed innocent.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

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