BEAUFORT, SC (May 28, 2021) – A Colleton County woman who swindled more than $200,000 while working for a regional trucking company is headed to prison.
Gini Lee Tucker, 40, of Islandton, pleaded guilty Tuesday to breach of trust while working as a financial officer for Cowboy USA, LLC, in Walterboro. She received a 10-year sentence, which was suspended to three years behind bars, followed by five years of probation. Tucker must also repay $202,781 in restitution.
Should Tucker fail to meet all of the sentence’s requirements, she faces the possibility of serving the entire 10 years in prison.
“She was using the company’s bank accounts for her own personal use,” said Assistant Solicitor Francine Norz, who prosecuted the case. “She was entrusted to manage this family-owned business’s financial accounts and abused that trust, which negatively impacted its owners and employees.”
The trucking company’s owners noticed unauthorized Amazon purchases, which prompted an audit. The audit revealed Tucker had been making withdrawals from company’s various accounts to pay for personal expenses, including an all-terrain vehicle.
Circuit Court Judge Carmen Mullen handed down Tuesday’s sentence at the Beaufort County Courthouse, where the hearing was held.
The case was investigated by Special Agent David Williams with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Norz prosecutes fraud and financial crimes and has been with the Solicitor’s Office since 2006.
