FBI arrests fired S Carolina police chief over $78,000 theft

MANNING, S.C. – A fired police chief in South Carolina has been arrested by the FBI on charges including money laundering.

News outlets report Gary Blair Shaffer pleaded not guilty and posted bail after he was taken in by the FBI Monday.

A federal indictment says Shaffer stole about $78,000 from the city of Manning in 2015. Most of it was money that had been seized from people accused of dealing illegal drugs. The indictment says he carefully deposited the money into multiple accounts and lied about his actions when questioned in 2016 and 2017.

Mayor Julia Nelson cited safety concerns when Manning was fired in July 2018. But The Sumter Item reports his employee file includes no reprimands or inappropriate behaviour during his more than two decades with the department.