Columbia Woman Sentenced in Charity Embezzlement Case

COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney W. Walter Wilkins stated today that Wanda Y. Martin, age 39, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court for wire fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. Senior United States District Judge Matthew J. Perry, Jr., sentenced Martin to 27 months imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and payment of restitution in the amount of $342,991.

Martin was the Director of Financial Services for Family Service Center (FSC), a charitable organization that provides adolescent pregnancy prevention, children’s dental care, consumer credit counseling, and employment skills programs to lower income communities. Martin used FSC credit cards for her own personal purchases and expenses, and then paid the resulting credit card bills with FSC funds.

At the sentencing, a representative of FSC described the difficulties that Martin’s fraud caused for the organization. While the theft presented challenges meeting the financial needs of the organization, FSC has continued to provide the services needed by the families and children that they support.

The case was investigated by agents of the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs, the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Winston Holliday and Dean A. Eichelberger of the Columbia office handled the case.