Man accused of scrapping more than $1 million dollars worth of employers equipment, keeping funds

Image: Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office

Image: Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office

Orangeburg Co., SC (WOLO) — Sheriff Leroy Ravenell says a man has been charged after more than $1 million dollars worth of equipment belonging to his former employer was scrapped.

Sheriff Ravenell says 45-year-old Shaun Simpson of Seneca who was an employee for a local pet food manufacturer, was asked to get rid of some of the old, worn out machines. But after completed that requested task, authorities say fellow employees noticed that there were also machines in good condition that was missing from the Prosperity Drive business.

According to an arrest warrant obtained by ABC Columbia News, a contact employee who worked at the scrap yard reached out Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Investigators, telling them he had been instructed by Simpson to make checks out to him. The report goes on to say that the amount of scrapped equipment was valued at around $1,056,504, but the company claims they only received $15,000 in a payment for the items that were scrapped.

         “This individual was instructed to scrap equipment that had been deemed worn out and obsolete,” the sheriff said. “However, once that was done, he                   kept on scrapping perfectly good equipment and pocketing the money.”

Simpson has been charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent over $10,000 and obtaining a signature under false pretenses. He has since been given a $25,000 personal recognizance bond.