Woodruff, South Carolina woman accused of embezzlement from Union bank

A 44-year-old Woodruff woman was indicted Wednesday on accusations that she embezzled more than a half-million dollars from a Union bank. Kimberly O. McAbee, of 1700 SJ Workman Highway, faces a one-count federal indictment. Investigators say she embezzled about $520,000 between 2005 and 2009 from Arthur State Bank in Union.
The maximum penalty for that crime is a $1 million fine and 30 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin McDonald said he could not discuss details of the case at this time.
McDonald did say, however, "She was a loan administrator, and she used her authority in that position to access bank funds."
Bank officials discovered money missing and contacted federal authorities, McDonald said. He could not say when.
McAbee is the niece of former Woodruff City Clerk Beverly Mitchem Maddox. Maddox was fired in August after 37 years with the city. She was charged by the State Law Enforcement Division in November with embezzling $45,448 of public funds between 2006 and 2008.
The warrant against Maddox stated she used her access to public funds to direct the money to her personally controlled bank account at Arthur State Bank. Maddox wrote in a voluntary statement to SLED that the money "did not go for vacations or such but did help go to pay credit cards and help family members."
The McAbee family would not comment