Ex-town treasurer spent at least $70,000 in public money on herself, SC cops say
A South Carolina woman was arrested in Georgia after an investigation showed she stole at least $70,000 in taxpayer money, according to the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office.
Crystal Dawn Cocker, a 47-year-old Peak resident, was charged with embezzlement of public funds (over $10,000), the sheriff’s office said Tuesday in a news release.
Cocker embezzled the money while in her role as clerk and treasurer for the Town of Peak, according to the release. Although she’s still listed as Peak’s treasurer on the town’s website, the sheriff’s office said that was her former position. Information about how and when she left that role was not available.
After receiving a complaint about money missing from the town’s treasury, the sheriff’s office said it opened an investigation. There was no word about when the complaint was issued.
It was determined that at least $70,000 was spent on various personal bills and items over a two year period, according to the release.
The exact amount of money confirmed to be missing as a result of the scheme was not available.
There was no word about what personal items were purchased with the stolen money, and information about how Cocker embezzled the money was not available.
Cocker was arrested in Union County, Georgia, and extradited back to South Carolina, the sheriff’s office said. That’s about 200 miles from Newberry County, and information about why Cocker was in Georgia and how she was located then taken into custody was not available.
Cocker was booked into the Newberry County Detention Center, according to the release. Her bond was set at $50,000, and as of Tuesday afternoon Cocker was listed on the jail’s inmate roster.
If convicted on the felony charge Cocker faces a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison, a fine and is disqualified from holding any office of honor or emolument, according to South Carolina law.
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This story was originally published August 19, 2025 at 2:03 PM.
