Berkeley County Clerk Elaine Mauck has been indicted on charges related to alleged theft from a storage unit that had belonged to her predecessor.
A grand jury indicted Mauck on Wednesday on a total of five felony counts. They include one count of petit larceny and four counts of burglary/non-residential.
Berkeley County Prosecutor Catie Wilkes Deligatti says the case is being handled by a special prosecutor out of Morgan County.
This past April 26, the 74-year-old allegedly was present when locks were broken off a storage unit that belonged to the estate of former, longtime County Clerk John Small, Jr. and took items including memorabilia. The indictment indicates Mauck directed county employees to assist her, although those employees are not named.
John Small passed away in February at the age of 87. Mauck had been appointed to the position in January when Small stepped down because of declining health.
At the time of her original arrest, Mauck indicated to investigators that she believed Small’s widow had no interest in the items.
Investigators collected three boxes of items that were valued at less than $1,000.00. The items included pictures, memorabilia, mail, a helmet and several books.
Mauck previously served as a county council member before her appointment to the clerk’s position. She is a former educator and known as a historian and collector of memorabilia.