Former North Myrtle Beach police employee accused of embezzling more than $10K in electronics

WMBF News reports that NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - A former North Myrtle Beach Police Department employee is accused of embezzling more than $10,000 worth of city-owned electronics.

Jail records show Carlton Simmons, 30, was charged Friday with embezzlement of public funds, value $5,000 or more.

The investigation started June 8, when an officer reviewing a pawnshop database for property crimes saw Simmons had sold several Apple iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones over the past year, according to a police report.

The database showed Simmons sold 44 phones believed to belong to the city of North Myrtle Beach, the report stated.

Police said he also sold additional city-owned cellphones, laptops and electronic accessories on Facebook Marketplace and Amazon.

During a June 12 interview with detectives, the report showed that Simmons admitted to stealing city cellphones and accessories and pawning them at different EcoATM machines throughout Horry County.