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Rachel Duncan: 'I'm Just Embarrassed'

The ex-accountant said she is addicted to gambling, but is getting help for the problem.

 

Rachel Duncan, the former accountant for the S.C. Hospitality Association, said nothing is left of the nearly $500,000 she stole from the organization and used for online gambling. 

In an exclusive interview with The State newspaper last week, Duncan said she is "embarrassed" about her gambling addiction. 

Duncan pleaded guilty last Wednesday to federal charges of wire fraud and tax evasion. During the court hearing, prosecutors also said they found sexually-oriented photos of Duncan on former association director Tom Sponseller's computer. 

But Duncan told The State newspaper that she did not have a sexual relationship with Sponseller, and did not give him the photos. 

“Tom and I were really close but not like they said,” Duncan told The State.

Duncan worked closely with Sponseller, who committed suicide in February after federal officials started investigating missing money at the association.

Duncan is going to therapy for her gambling problem, according to The State. She is also looking for a job, but having trouble getting hired.

She will appear in court again for a judge to decide her punishment, according to The State. The maximum sentence she could receive is 23 years in prison and $350,000 in fines. Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday said she is more likely to be sentenced to two years in prison.  

Related Topics: Rachel Duncan, S.C. Hospitality Association, and Tom Sponseller

maizenbluedoc

7:43 am on Monday, April 30, 2012

Sorry lady, "I'm just embarrassed" won't suffice. That may have worked as a small child, but she is an adult now and must suffer the consequences of her actions. I suppose a slick attorney will attempt to blame her gambling habits on her illegal actions. It was stated she was having trouble getting hired for a new job, isn't that a surprise?

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