South Carolina State Grand Jury has dropped the hammer on Sharon W. Staggers, the now–former Williamsburg County Clerk of Court, slapping her with TEN criminal counts ranging from official misconduct and embezzlement to ethics violations and outright fraud.
According to the indictment, Staggers, who held her elected office from 2019 to 2023, allegedly treated taxpayer funds like her personal piggy bank, siphoning more than $119,000 from the public coffers.
Prosecutors say she knowingly and willfully funneled federal Title IV-D funds (money meant for child support enforcement under the Social Security Act) and excess salary payments straight into her own pocket.
According to the indictment, Staggers:
- Raided federal child support enforcement funds (Title IV-D funds) to pad her own bank account with tens of thousands of dollars in so-called “incentive payments.”
- Cut herself illegal “excess salary” checks year after year, siphoning off public money well beyond her legitimate pay.
- Solicited and pocketed thousands under the guise of “community projects,” while allowing her office staff to also receive fraudulent overpayments.
- Engaged in a pattern of public corruption tied to money laundering violations, as noted in multiple counts of the indictment
The court documents paint a damning picture:
- $4,000 stolen in late 2019 from federal child services funds.
- $14,500 taken in 2020 from Title IV-D incentive payments.
- $31,115.32 stolen in 2021 — again from child support enforcement funds.
- $11,536 pocketed in 2021 as excess salary.
- $29,993.60 in excess salary payments during 2022.
- $17,304 stolen in just the first half of 2023.
- $4,818.09 skimmed from child services funds between August and October 2023.
- Plus $6,232.05 in shady “community project” payouts, with fraudulent bonuses handed to her own employees
ABC News 4 reported:
Former Williamsburg County Clerk of Court Sharon Staggers was issued a 10-count indictment after allegedly embezzling almost $120,000 in public funds meant to enhance child support services, according to state Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office.
The counts read as follows, with potential prison times:
- Count 1 – Misconduct in office, common law – 0-10 years
- Count 2 – Embezzlement of public funds, value less than $10,000 – 0-10 years and a fine
- Counts 3-7 – Embezzlement of public funds, value $10,000 or more – 0-10 years and a fine
- Count 8 – Embezzlement of public funds, value less than $10,000
- Count 9 – Use of official position or office for financial gain ethics act violation, 0-1 year and/or a fine not more than $5,000
- Count 10 – Receiving anything of value to influence action of public official, 0-10 years and/or a fine of $0-$10,000
The misconduct took place between Nov. 2019 and Oct. 2023, when Staggers served as Williamsburg County Clerk of Court, the indictments allege. Counts 2-5 involve Staggers reportedly embezzling Title IV-D funds of the federal Social Security Act to be paid to her as Title IV-D incentive payments. Title IV-D of the Social Security Act specifically establishes grants for child support and establishment of paternity funding.
Read the full indictment below:
Read the full article here