Man stole thousands in public money from fire department where he worked, SC cops say
A South Carolina man was arrested after authorities say he stole thousands of dollars in taxpayer money from the volunteer fire department where he worked, the State Law Enforcement Division said.
Allen D. Marshall Jr., served as the captain and treasurer for the Donalds Volunteer Fire Department in Abbeville County, and is accused of using his position to forge checks and embezzle money, arrest warrants show.
On Wednesday, the 29-year-old Donalds resident was arrested on embezzlement and forgery charges, SLED said in a news release.
The crimes occurred between December 28, 2020, and July 30, 2021, according to the arrest warrants.
An exact amount was not made available, but Marshall embezzled more than $10,000 in public funds, an arrest warrant says.
Another arrest warrant says that Marshall forged signatures on checks from the fire department. The money embezzled using the checks with the forged signatures was less than $10,000, according to the arrest warrant.
There was no word what Marshall did with the money, or what, if anything, it was spent on.
Information on how the scam was uncovered was not available, but the Abbeville County Sheriff’s Office asked SLED to lead the investigation.
Marshall was taken to the Abbeville County Detention Center, and his case will be prosecuted by the 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, according to the release.
If convicted on the felony embezzlement charge, Marshall faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, according to South Carolina law. A conviction on the felony forgery charge could mean up to five years in prison.
