SC DMV employee stole more than $19K in public money for over a year, SLED says

An employee of the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles has been charged with stealing public money, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division announced.

The DMV inspector general received a complaint from a customer who said she was overcharged for her title by Shayla Singleton-Drayton, according to an affidavit. Singleton-Drayton, 44, was a customer service representative at the St. George SCDMV office in Dorchester County. Her responsibilities entailed the safekeeping, transfer and disbursement of public funds.

The customer was charged $600 instead of the appropriate $585. Further investigation found that only $85 was deposited into the cash drawer. The SCDMV further reviewed Singleton-Drayton’s transactions and discovered she had processed title transactions but did not account for all the funds received.

Between December 1, 2022, and March 7, 2024, according to an affidavit, Singleton-Drayton stole $19,451 in public funds.

She admitted to SLED agents that she had stolen the money because she had financial problems, and used it to pay her personal bills and other expenses.

Singleton-Drayton was charged on Wednesday with embezzlement of public funds with a value greater than $10,000, SLED said. She was booked into the Dorchester County Detention Center. The 1st Circuit Solicitor’s Office will prosecute the case.

This story was originally published August 31, 2024 at 1:46 PM.

Alexa Jurado

The State

Alexa Jurado is a news reporter for The State covering Lexington County and Richland County schools. She previously wrote about the University of South Carolina and contributes to this coverage. A Chicago suburbs native, Alexa graduated from Marquette University and previously wrote for publications in Illinois and Wisconsin. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the Milwaukee Press Club and the South Carolina Press Association.