KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) – The woman who was in charge of Camden’s finances is now facing a dozen tax charges for allegedly evading nearly a quarter million dollars in taxes and underreporting more than $2 million in liquor sales at her private business.
Now-former Camden Finance Director Debra Courtney, 63, was arrested by the South Carolina Department of Revenue on February 2, and booked into the Kershaw County Detention Center.
She has since been released on a $5,000 bond, according to court records.
The allegations stem from Courtney’s ownership of a popular sports bar along Highway 601 in Lugoff called Gadgets, which she had operated until a few months ago.
She is accused of tax evasion, failing to file a liquor by the drink tax return for one year, underreporting sales to the Department of Revenue by $2.4 million from 2019-2022 and failing to pay the state withholding tax taken from employees’ paychecks for a decade.
The Department of Revenue said Courtney is alleged to have evaded a total of $238,384 in state taxes.
According to Camden City Manager Jonathan Rorie, Courtney is still employed by the city.
Rorie said she was immediately placed on paid administrative leave so that he could evaluate the charges.
However, he said on Friday that he anticipates that she will return to work at some point next week.
Some people who live in Camden believe that is the wrong decision.
“If it was me, you or anybody else, we wouldn’t have a job, so why should she?” Lifelong Camden resident Paula Tucker said.
Rorie said he made this decision because the charges stem from her personal business operations.
“I have zero, nothing that indicates any impropriety involving the Finance Director and city financial operations,” he said.
WIS asked the Department of Revenue if they are investigating Coutrney’s role as Finance Director, or any of her actions as a city employee.
A spokesperson said they cannot discuss whether or not they are conducting an investigation.
The allegations are troubling to Candice Currie, who has lived in Camden since 1989.
“I wouldn’t trust her with the city’s finances, not with as much as we’re all paying right now for our light bills and water bills,” she said.
Courtney had run Gadgets for several years.
However, according to the Department of Revenue, the liquor license expired on August 31, 2023, and the business did not submit a renewal application.
Since that time, local bar owner Alex Rose and his partner Benny Bruno bought the bar, re-applied for a liquor license and plan to open the bar under a new name, A&B Bar and Grill, within about three weeks.
In an interview Friday, Rose, who also owns Overtime Bar & Grill on Bluff Road in Columbia, said he has not spoken with Courtney since the sale became finalized last month.
“Honestly everything was very pleasant with her, and I would have never have guessed or known anything was shady,” he said. “She seemed to be very good with finances, and everything was in order throughout our whole purchasing process.”
Rose said grew up in Kershaw County, and has been wanting own Gadgets for years.
The decision to change the name was unrelated to this incident, he said, and instead with an eye toward a “fresh start” and a “clean slate.”
The bar is currently under renovation. A post on Facebook stated that Gadgets closed as of January 22.
“The plan is to open back up with new looks in all areas,” it reads.
Rorie said he named Camden Assistant City Manager Caitlin Young the Interim Finance Director on Wednesday, February 7.
A search for a permanent Finance Director is underway, he said.
“We started the search last year, but unfortunately, we did not find a candidate to fill the position,” Rorie said.
When Courtney returns to work, she will have a “limited role in finances,” according to Rorie, as various grants, projects, utility bills and budget administration is transferred to Young.
“This is no way should be viewed as a loss of confidence in Debra,” he said.
When asked about that comment, Currie said, “Loss of confidence? I mean aren’t you running a business there? You can’t have confidence in somebody that just got arrested for evading their own taxes and their business.”
These types of arrests are uncommon.
The Department of Revenue said they arrested 20 people for various tax offenses last year.
Courtney’s is the first arrest of 2024.
WIS reached out to Camden mayor Alfred Mae Drakeford and city councilmembers for comment about Courtney’s arrest, but did not hear back.
Attempts to reach Courtney for comment were unsuccessful.
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