Former Awendaw clerk accused of embezzling

Authorities arrested a former Awendaw town clerk Wednesday on a charge she stole from the town's budget.

Felisha Carina Woodberry of North Charleston is charged with embezzlement. Over two years, she siphoned off more than $30,000 from taxpayers of Awendaw, a town with annual yearly budget of about $500,000, police said.

The town hired Woodberry in 2003 as an assistant town clerk. Within a year, she moved up to the post of town clerk and treasurer.

Town Administrator Dan Martin noticed a problem in February 2006 when the town was struggling to pay its bills.

"It seemed like we were running out of money all the time," Martin said. "That was one of the things I couldn't understand — why we were always so tight on funds."

After looking through their records, the town fired Woodberry and hired an independent bookkeeper to examine town records dating to 2002.

In November, the Charleston County Sheriff's Office took the records and did its own audit.

"None of us is above the law," Mayor William Alston said.

Woodberry is accused of altering checks that Martin and Alston had signed and making them payable to herself for various amounts, according to an affidavit. The affidavit also alleges that Woodberry made several unauthorized charges on her town Master Card account and bought groceries and gasoline on the town's Sam's Club account.

Reach Lucia Walinchus at 937-5921 or at lwalinchus@postandcourier.com.