SC employee tampered with tax records to benefit family and friends, SLED says
A former employee of the Saluda County Tax Auditor’s Office tried to help her family and friends save money on their car taxes by adjusting the value of their vehicles, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
On Monday, Kayla Leigh Berry, 31, was charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent valued more than $2,000 but less than $10,000 and misconduct in office after she altered tax documents in her official capacity as a tax auditor, a SLED news release said.
The charges stem from October 2023, where a warrant affidavit said Berry “inappropriately adjusted tax bills for her family and friends by providing discounts without proper documentation, (voiding) bills or changing the value of vehicles.”
Berry’s fraudulent adjustments caused the county to lose a little over $6,000, according to the affidavit.
Investigators were able to link the adjustments to Berry based on her login credentials, and verified she performed the acts while on the clock.
Further, Berry handled other tax bills from residents with the same vehicles as that of her family and friends and didn’t make the same adjustments, the affidavit said.
Berry was booked into the Saluda County Detention Center.
This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 5:23 PM.
