Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Beth Drake announced today that Doc McNeil Matthews, 48, of Hollywood, South Carolina, and Mary Jo Thomas-Delaney, 68, of Summerville, South Carolina, were sentenced to prison for their roles in a scheme to embezzle funds from the St. Paul’s Fire District. Matthews was sentenced to 33 months imprisonment and Thomas-Delaney was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment. Both sentences included three years of supervised release, to follow the respective terms of imprisonment. United States District Court Judge Richard Gergel imposed the sentences.
Matthews and Thomas-Delaney were convicted following a jury trial in July, 2017. Evidence at trial proved that from December, 2010, through August, 2012, Matthews and Thomas-Delaney, along with others, embezzled approximately $215,000.00 from the St. Paul’s Fire District. The group utilized a FEMA grant that had been awarded to the Fire District. Thomas-Delaney was responsible for administering the grant, while Matthews was the St. Paul’s Fire Chief at the time. The grant contained funds for grant administration, which was inflated without any authority, then the inflated amounts were shared amongst the defendants, resulting in a total loss of $183,375.00.
The conviction is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charleston. ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
