Attorney General Alan Wilson announces former assistant court clerk pleads guilty to embezzling public funds

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – January 9, 2018 South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announces that Ana Marin, 41, of Lexington, South Carolina, has entered a guilty plea to one count of Embezzlement of Public Funds, Value Less Than $10,000 under S.C. Code § 16-13-210(A). The Honorable Michael G. Nettles accepted the plea and sentenced Marin to five (5) years’ imprisonment, provided that upon the service of ninety (90) days, the balance is suspended with probation for five (5) years. The ninety (90) days will be served on the weekend. Marin was also ordered to pay $36,620 in restitution. If Marin is able to pay the restitution before her probationary period is over, then probation will be terminated.

Marin worked as a clerical assistant with the Lexington County Clerk of Court’s Office where she was responsible for collecting filing fees due to the family court. From January 2013 to May 2015, Marin diverted funds meant to be paid to the clerk’s office as filing fees to herself. After a discrepancy was found in Marin’s collections one day in May 2015, an audit was conducted which concluded that several thousand dollars were unaccounted for. The clerk’s records showed that numerous cases were missing a receipt for the filing fee, but were otherwise opened and assigned a number. Marin admitted to the embezzlement and to depositing approximately $36,620 in cash into her personal checking account.

The case was investigated by SLED and was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General J. Clayton Mitchell.