A deputy was fired and arrested, SC sheriff says. Here’s why she was charged
A Columbia woman who worked for the Richland County Sheriff’s Department was recently fired and arrested, South Carolina officials said.
On Monday, 31-year-old Jessica Way was charged with petit larceny for stealing money, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.
Way was a deputy who worked in the sex offender registry unity, the sheriff’s department said. She had served in that capacity for the nearly 4 years she worked at the sheriff’s department, according to the release.
While processing sex offenders who were coming in to register, Way was stealing small amounts of money at a time, in an effort to avoid drawing attention, the sheriff’s department said.
Those efforts were thwarted following a July 16 internal audit, which showed a $410 cash discrepancy from the sex offender registry receipts, according to the release. This information was turned over to the criminal investigations division, the sheriff’s department said.
On July 24, Way was questioned and she confessed, leading to her immediate termination from the department, according to the release.
There was no word about what Way did with the cash, if she spent it, and if so, what she bought with the funds.
On Monday, Way was arrested on a petit larceny (under $2,000) charge and booked into the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, the sheriff’s department said.
Bond was set at $2,125 and posted Tuesday, Richland County court records show. Way isn’t listed on the jail’s current inmate roster.
If convicted on the misdemeanor charge, Way faces a maximum punishment of 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to South Carolina law.
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