A Howard University bureaucrat stole nearly $34,000 in federal funds that were supposed to go to injured workers, according to federal court documents.

Christina Bell, a former analyst at Howard’s workers’ compensation office, was charged with theft from a program receiving federal funds in a federal criminal information filed in U.S. District Court on Tuesday.

The charging document said the theft occurred between Jan. 5 and June 29, 2007. One source familiar with the investigation said officials at Howard University discovered financial irregularities in areas where Bell worked last summer. Federal prosecutors were alerted, and a criminal probe followed.

If convicted, she would face a prison term of up to 10 years.

bmyers@dcexaminer.com