(Updated: 6:15pm Thursday)
An Horry County school board member is in trouble with the law. Chris Shannon was arrested Thursday morning and charged with stealing more than $100,000 from a former employer.
The 15th Circuit Solicitor's Office began an investigation of Chris Shannon about a year ago. They wrapped it up within the past few weeks.
Solicitor Greg Hembree says the investigation began when Shannon's former employer complained to authorities about money missing from his business.
Hembree says Chris Shannon was the financial manager for a couple of Thomas Kinkade Art Galleries on the Grand Strand.
The arrest warrant charges Shannon with cashing two checks made out to the business, totaling more than $5,000.
He's also accused of diverting more than $98,000 from the business for his own use, from January of 2005 to March 2006.
Shannon was elected to the school board in 2002 and re-elected in 2006.
Board chairman Will Garland says Shannon had the respect of other board members and they elected him vice chairman last December.
"My reaction when I heard it was one of shock. It was just hard to believe," said Garland.
Solicitor Hembree says he will put the case up for indictment before a grand jury, either this month or in April.
Garland says if Shannon is indicted, it will be up to the governor to decide whether to suspend him from office until his trial.
Garland pointed out, Shannon has not been accused of misusing any public money. "We do not have any school member that has direct access to public funds."
Garland says he wants the public to remember that every defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty.
"Regardless of how this turns out, I think what the public needs to understand, and I'm 100 percent convinced of this opinion, is that Mr. Shannon worked diligently, faithfully and truthfully for what was best for the kids of Horry County while he's on our school board," said Garland.
We talked to Chris Shannon on the phone. He and his attorney put out a statement late Thursday, saying Shannon clearly denies any wrong-doing and they're disappointed in the way prosecutors have proceeded in this entire case.
They said Shannon is a well-respected member of the community, who's done outstanding things in the educational system, and they don't think it's fair that prosecutors have gone forward to contact the media the way they have.
Shannon was released Thursday on a $35,000 bond.
