Former In-plant Manager Arrested
A Winthrop University procurement card was misused to the tune of more than $200,000, and the former director of Printing Services is suspected of helping himself to the funds, the Charlotte Observer reported.
George Robert Walker, who spent nearly 10 years in the employ of the university, was arrested by Winthrop Police and charged with two counts of breach of trust in excess of $5,000, the paper reported. He was released on a personal recognizance bond of $150,000 and may face a maximum jail sentence of 10 years for each count.
Walker's lawyer told the Observer that he feels his client and Winthrop University will be able to work out an arrangement.
The school's budget office discovered the misuse when it noticed cost increases in the printing services department, despite the fact that the university had embarked on a cost-cutting campaign. An internal audit of the printing unit revealed that someone was receiving payment from a Winthrop University credit card via PayPal, the paper said, citing the police report.