Former Clarendon County deputy arrested, accused of embezzlement

CLARENDON COUNTY - A former Clarendon County deputy was arrested on April 8 on charges of misconduct in office and embezzlement.

Sabrina Mellerson, 34, a former deputy and victim's advocate with the CCSO, was arrested by agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division after an investigation was conducted at the request of Clarendon County Sheriff Tim Baxley.

According to the first of two SLED arrest warrants, Mellerson allegedly embezzled government money amounting to less than $10,000 between July 2021 and April 2022.

At the time of the alleged embezzlement, Mellerson was a certified CCSO deputy responsible for the county's sex offender registry at the sheriff's office. The warrants state that Mellerson is charged with taking cash payments collected from sex offender registrants and using that money for her personal use.

The second arrest warrant charged Mellerson with misconduct in office for "willfully and unlawfully" violating the law of misconduct in office while she was a deputy with the CCSO and responsible for county's sex offender registry. The warrant said Mellerson collected cash payments that were to be deposited at the Clarendon County Treasurer's Office and used those payments for her personal use.

The case against Mellerson will be prosecuted by the 3rd Circuit Solicitor Ernest Finney III.

Mellerson's bond hearing was held on April 8. She was released from the Clarendon County Detention Center later that day on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.