A court hearing has been scheduled for the former South Carolina Hospitality Association employee accused of embezzling nearly $500,000 from the group. Court documents show Rachel Duncan will admit taking the money as part of a plea deal.
Duncan will appear in federal court at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in Columbia, where she is expected to plead guilty to wire fraud and tax evasion. Prosecutors say the former accounting director stole the money from the group from 2006 until this year to support her online gambling. The Hospitality Association represents the state’s restaurants and hotels.
Tom Sponseller, the group’s longtime director killed himself in February. Police say a suicide note detailed Sponseller’s shame over the situation. According to the note, Sponseller felt responsible that the money was taken during his watch.
The U.S. Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case.
