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School Board Member Arrested

Posted on: Thursday, 9 March 2006, 18:00 CST

By Devon Marrow, The State, Columbia, S.C.

Mar. 9--RICHLAND -- Richland 2 school board member Bill McCracken was arrested Monday and charged with breach of trust and forgery.

McCracken, 54, served as food services director for Sumter 17 school district and was the subject of a month-long investigation into allegations he kept for himself at least two checks from vendors totaling less than $5,000.

"It kind of surprised us when it came up on Monday and they'd pressed formal charges," said Richland 2 board chairman Bill Flemming.

The board likely will discuss McCracken's future as a trustee at Tuesday's school board meeting, Flemming said.

Joel Sawyer, spokesman for Gov. Mark Sanford, said when the governor's office receives formal confirmation of McCracken's indictment, the governor's legal counsel likely will recommend McCracken's suspension from office. The governor has the authority to remove any elected official upon indictment.

Efforts to reach McCracken were unsuccessful Wednesday.

Sumter Police Chief Patty Patterson said the department's financial crimes unit began the investigation last month when the district fired McCracken.

"He was terminated upon us learning that he had misappropriated funds," district spokeswoman Shelly Galloway said. As a Richland 2 school board member, McCracken doesn't have the authority to sign or accept checks on the school district's behalf.

He was first elected to the school board in 1992 and has served as board chairman. His current term ends in 2008.

According to McCracken's biography on the Richland 2 Web site, he is president of the South Carolina School Food Service Purchasing Alliance Board and serves as vice chairman of the South Carolina School Board Insurance Trust Property and Casualty Board of Directors.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison on the breach of trust charge and up to three years on the forgery charge.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The State, Columbia, S.C.

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Source: The State (Columbia, S.C.)

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