Donna Hicks Spencer
The State Bureau of Investigation says Spencer was indicted on Monday by a Catawba County grand jury on one count of embezzlement by a local or charitable officer, two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses and one count of register of deeds failing to discharge duty. According to the court documents, Spencer is accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from Catawba County. The indictments claim she fraudulently reported overtime and comp time hours while she was not working.
Spencer appeared Tuesday morning before a Catawba County magistrate in Newton. She was issued a $9,900 secured bond and released.
According to the SBI, the investigation dates back to April 2020.
Spencer has held the office since 2004.