Former Howard University financial aid student-employee Tyrone Hankerson Jr. has released a statement declaring his innocence through his lawyer.
Hankerson was named in a recent anonymous Medium post exposing the scheme and accusing him of taking over $400,000 in financial aid funds.
“Between 2014 and 2017, another financial aid student-employee, Tyrone Hankerson, was repeatedly awarded a $65,000 ‘University Need Based Grant,’” the author wrote in the now-deleted post.
“In 2014, Hankerson was awarded another $22,683 scholarship, labeled as a Mock Trial Scholarship," the author continued. "Sources who have been involved with the mock trial, including past leadership, say the team has never awarded a scholarship of that amount and wouldn’t even have had the budget to accommodate a scholarship of that amount.”
Twitter did some detective work and found social media posts documenting Tyrone’s lavish lifestyle which included designer clothes, fur coats and overseas trips. Heavy notes his social media pages appear to have been deleted. #Tyrone has been trending since yesterday.
This man stole $429,000 in Financial Aid at Howard y’all
Tyrone Hankerson, a student-employee in the Financial Aid office. Set to graduate! & Got caught
This the iconic photo we found on his Facebook????????✊????
Mink Coat, Designer Bag, the FINESSE GOD TYRONE ☠️☠️I am DEAD pic.twitter.com/PQrYQaPXzJ— Lew Sid (@LewSidRaps) March 28, 2018
Tyrone Hankerson Jr. stole $429,000 from Howard University.
Months away from graduation and the scam went south.
Mink Coats, Designer Bags, personal videographer and media team. Everyone say hello to the FINESSE GOD TYRONE. pic.twitter.com/OFjPAr6QHl— Tariq Sayed (@StyleByTariq) March 28, 2018
#Tyrone after working an 8-hour day for $7,750 an hour. pic.twitter.com/BiPeTnx9b1
— Martese Johnson (@martesejohnson_) March 28, 2018
Student: So, you're saying I'm only eligible for $500 for all 4 years??!?#Tyrone: pic.twitter.com/fJLQBehEXQ— YoungProblematicBae (@DB_theGreat) March 28, 2018
#Tyrone and his friends after sending out scholarship rejection emails at #HowardUniversity
pic.twitter.com/P1Zp1yCoZ8— Wells P (@Wells_P) March 28, 2018
joanne ran so tyrone could soar pic.twitter.com/fnQhIV5yyE— . (@curatedbymike) March 28, 2018
The floor is students in need #Tyrone pic.twitter.com/W6gvCMaIwK— Silkk T’Chaka (@southernfleaux) March 28, 2018
Hankerson released a statement declaring his innocence via his lawyer, James L. Walker Jr.
“Please know that I have done nothing illegal or wrong,” Hankerson said.
ABC News has received the following statement on behalf of Tyrone Hankerson Jr. pic.twitter.com/hIA8uaIlG3
— Anastasia (@AnastasiaElyseW) March 28, 2018
Even Netflix had to get in on this shade:
The next time you tell a Howard student to call Tyrone… pic.twitter.com/HNxyAqNvzf— Strong Black Lead (@strongblacklead) March 28, 2018
“When the truth comes out, it will be confirmed that I followed all rules and protocol with the approval of the, then, financial aid officers in any grants, scholarships or awards given to me as a student who attended class all year round and traveled abroad," Hankerson continued.
Twitter wasn’t impressed.
Tyrone writing this fuckery ???? pic.twitter.com/tH4nBYPdIb
— La Bella (@LaBellaJmarie) March 28, 2018
I don’t care what he says, nothing can we taken out of context financially because there’s no way on Gods green earth any student is getting $450,000 it just isn’t possible
— Miko Starks (@_mstarks) March 29, 2018
— Wayne Frederick is the Easter Bunny (@HannonPhantom) March 28, 2018
How can we believe anything he says? Lol pic.twitter.com/PhCujpseYr
— ❝WickedLittleSiren❞ (@La_Bella_Amor) March 29, 2018
How he paying for this lawyer? pic.twitter.com/AAJlWzS6gl
— ????Eagles???? SB CHAMPS #freemeek (@reset2136853) March 29, 2018
Messy, messy.
