Anson County Chamber president ousted amid embezzlement investigation

Genevieve Curtis,Andrew McMillan
·2 min read

The State Bureau of Investigation is investigating alleged embezzlement at the Anson County Chamber of Commerce after the chamber’s longtime president was abruptly removed from her position in mid-March.

Channel 9 has been digging into the allegations since March 16, when the Anson County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors announced that Shelby Emrich was “removed by the Board from her position effective immediately.”

According to online records found by Channel 9, Emrich had been serving as the chamber’s president since at least 2011.

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The message from the Chamber of Commerce on March 16 said that the board had “decided to undergo a leadership reorganization.” Emrich’s duties are being divided among board members until a new president is chosen.

But a police report obtained by Channel 9 on Thursday shows that the Wadesboro Police Department got a report of embezzlement at the Anson County Chamber of Commerce. Emrich isn’t specifically named in the report, but the narrative on says “President/CEO embezzled money from non-profit corporation.”

Channel 9 reached out to the SBI, and a spokesperson confirmed that it was assisting Wadesboro police with the investigation. No arrests have been made as of Thursday.

The police report doesn’t say how much money was allegedly taken, but the report says the embezzlement is suspected to go back to at least 2020. The report says the alleged embezzlement was discovered at the beginning of March this year.

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The chamber of commerce’s original statement on Emrich’s dismissal said, “We acknowledge many of you will have questions about the nature of this decision, and we will do our best to provide you with answers.”

Channel 9 has reached out to the chamber for comment multiple times. All of those requests went unanswered.

This is a developing story, and we’re working on getting more information. Check back for updates.

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