A woman who used to work as the clerk of the small town of Rockville, South Carolina, has been accused of embezzling money during the time she was employed.
John’s Island resident Chelsea Bentz Schaffer began working as the clerk of Rockville in August 2017. The salary for her position was reported as being $300 per month for the first three months that she performed the job, and $500 for each month following.
Between the months of August 2017 and May 2018, it was discovered that the town’s accounts, funded through the collection of taxes from the nearly 150 people who reside in Rockville, were missing nearly $2,000.
When the mayor became aware of the situation an investigation was opened by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) to try to uncover the source of the missing money.
After looking into the accounting, the authorities alleged that 26-year-old Shaffer was the party responsible for the reported misappropriation of the funds. It was purported that Shaffer, who was authorized to write checks attached to the accounts that hold the town’s money, had written 19 checks to herself without consent and used them for her own benefit.
Shaffer was taken into custody by SLED on May 13, and she was incarcerated in the county jail. She has been charged with one count of embezzlement of funds, and she was released approximately five hours following her arrest after meeting the conditions of a $2500 recognizance bond.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a theft crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.