Nationwide — Police in South Carolina have arrested a Myrtle Beach dental office employee accused of stealing more than half a million dollars from her workplace, adding her case to a growing list of U.S. employees charged with large-scale workplace theft. Authorities say 33-year-old Ashanti Kinney, who worked at Affordable Dentures & Implants on 38th Avenue North, is accused of carrying out an elaborate months-long scheme to pocket customer payments intended for the company.
According to WLBT and Myrtle Beach police, the investigation began on August 20 when the regional manager filed a formal complaint alleging a major breach of trust. Kinney’s primary responsibilities included collecting patient payments and depositing the funds into the business’s bank account—duties that placed her in direct control of incoming cash.
Detectives seized bank statements, internal audit papers, daily schedules and other financial documents. After reviewing the records, investigators concluded that from January 1 through August 15, Kinney allegedly diverted $612,990.20 into her own possession. Police say she manipulated the company’s payment system by marking patient accounts as “paid” while keeping the cash instead of depositing it.
Kinney was taken into custody on November 18 and charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent. She later posted a $20,000 bond and was released pending further court proceedings.
Authorities note that this case is one of several recent incidents nationwide involving employees in trusted roles stealing large sums of money from their workplaces. In Georgia, a former office manager at a medical clinic was arrested earlier this year for allegedly embezzling more than $1.2 million over a four-year period by forging signatures and creating fake vendor payments. In Texas, a restaurant bookkeeper was charged after investigators accused her of stealing nearly $300,000 by writing unauthorized checks to herself. And in Florida, a church accountant was sentenced for siphoning more than $400,000 in donations and tithes, which she reportedly used for personal expenses.
Law enforcement agencies say these cases highlight how employee-handled cash systems, lack of oversight, and trusted access can create opportunities for long-term theft—often only uncovered after routine audits or sudden financial discrepancies raise red flags.