Thank you for your comprehensive answer. I was expecting much less; therefore, I was succinct and glossed over some (probably critical) details.
It seems a bit counterintuitive that award miles that were generated from research grant funds could be used for anything other than official travel to future grant-related conferences but nevermind... that is an issue for the compliance auditors.
Yes, I CAN assume what is being reimbursed for because it was discussed. In one case, the professor et al flew to an island, rented a car and registered at the conference. The next day, the couple flew to another island - their actual destination. The rental car was left parked at the airport for several days, the conference hotel room was left vacant and there was no conference attendance. The statement was made that the rental vehicle was not returned and there was no hotel check out during the unused days specifically to give the impression that said conference was being attended.
In another instance, a five-day trip was made to a Mediterranean country. The first 3.5 days were devoted exclusively to tourism and romance; scientific meetings occurred during the last 1.5 days. The statement was made that reimbursement would be claimed for the entire trip to "avoid suspicion."
I grant you, this added information puts things into different perspective. (Again, I was trying to be succinct in my first post.) If I understand the principles correctly, the cover up made the situation go from bad to worse.

