Former Greenwood Bank Manager Gets Prison for Embezzlement

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney W. WALTER WILKINS stated today that Donna B. Beardsley, age 46, of Greenwood, was sentenced today in federal court in Spartanburg, for bank embezzlement, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 656. United States District Judge Henry F. Floyd sentenced Beardsley to 18 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.

Evidence in the case which was presented at her guilty plea hearing on December 17, 2008, established that between April 2007 and July 2008, Beardsley, who was the branch manager at a location of Carolina First Bank in Greenwood, took more than $612,000.00, from various customers' accounts and spent the money for herself . When confronted by bank officials and agents of the U.S. Secret Service, Beardsley admitted her wrongdoing and confessed to embezzling the money which, among other things, she used to pay off credit cards, make home improvements, and purchase land. (The land has since been sold and the proceeds paid to the bank.)

Beardsley has repaid the bank about $210,000.00. Judge Floyd ordered that she repay the difference as part of a restitution order.

The case was investigated by agents of the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney William C. Lucius of the Greenville office handled the case.

ALLENDALE UTILITY WORKER IMPRISONED FOR EMBEZZLEMENT

U.S. Attorney W. Walter Wilkins stated today that Edna Capers Johnson Williams, age 58, of Allendale, S.C., was sentenced in federal court for embezzling approximately $180,000 from the Town of Allendale Waterworks and Sewer System, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 658. U.S. District Judge Margaret B. Seymour sentenced Williams to one year in prison, to be followed by supervised release for three years. Williams will also be required to pay restitution in the amount of $179,528.75.

Williams pled guilty to charges between July 2002 and May 2005, she stole money from the Allendale public utility, where she worked as a supervisor, and then manipulated the records of the utility to conceal the theft. The theft was discovered when a coworker noticed what appeared to be an error in the daily tally sheet of financial transactions for the utility. When the coworker investigated, she found that Williams had changed entries relating to commercial account payments. Law enforcement was then called, and a full investigation revealed that over at least a three year period, Williams had stolen the money by receiving payments in full, then recording a lesser amount received, and pocketing the difference. By making these changes, Williams caused the daily records to balance even though she had stolen significant sums of money.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the S.C. Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean A. Eichelberger of the Columbia office handled the case.

Former DSS Finance Director Charged with Embezzling $5.5 Million

U.S. Attorney W. Walter Wilkins stated today that former Department of Social Services Finance Director Paul Timothy Moore, age 61, of Columbia, and nine other individuals, were charged in a federal Complaint with theft of federal program funds, mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy, for their respective roles in an alleged scheme to embezzle more than $5.5 million dollars from DSS.

The Complaint and arrest warrants were signed this morning by United States Magistrate Judge Paige J. Gossett in Columbia. An affidavit presented by a United States Secret Service Agent outlined the scheme, in which Moore allegedly used his position as the agency’s Finance Director to authorize the issuance of approximately 761 DSS checks between May 2004 and October 2008, in the approximate average amount of $7,000.00 each. The checks were made payable to names allegedly provided by a co-conspirator, Jonathon Moses, age 42, of Columbia, who recruited the named individuals to cash the checks and split the proceeds.

Eight other people were likewise identified as having cashed some of the checks and /or having recruited others into the scheme: Herbert McKie, age 27, Aisha Leheva Crumpton, age 23, Tyra L. Goodson, age 36, Nova Kathleen Johnson, age 40, and Sandra Denease Smith, age 45, all of Columbia; and Gwendolyn Robinson, age 41, Ortyse S. Mazone, age 37, and Calandra Fabary Thomas, age 38, all of Aiken.

Moore and Moses were arrested this morning and remain in custody until making an initial appearance in federal court in Columbia at 2:30 today.

Wilkins said he expects additional arrests. “Clearly many other people appear to be involved. Many people may have cashed these checks, based on information we have obtained thus far in the investigation,” said Wilkins. “I would encourage anyone with information to contact the Secret Service here in Columbia. I would also strongly encourage anyone who is involved to come forward; it would certainly be in their best interest.” The phone number for the Columbia office of the Secret Service is (803) 772-4015.

The maximum possible penalty for theft of federal program funds and conspiracy is ten years and a fine of $250,000.00; mail fraud and wire fraud each carry a maximum possible sentence of 20 years and a $250,000.00 fine.

Mr. Wilkins stated that the case is being investigated by agents of the United States Secret Service and SLED, and that he has assigned the case to Assistant United States Attorney Debbie Barbier of the Columbia office for prosecution.

The U.S. Attorney stated that all charges are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.