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COLUMBIA — The leader of a Fairfield County nonprofit approved for at least $150,000 in state taxes is accused of taking more than $44,000 from the organization’s bank account for his personal use, according to the State Law Enforcement Division.
Darrel President Sr., 56, of Columbia is charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent, according to an arrest warrant included with SLED’s news release Thursday.
The CEO of the Greenbrier Resources Community Development Center, which has received state aid to build a community center, was charged Wednesday and booked at the Fairfield County detention center. He was released the same day on a $10,000 surety bond, according to magistrate records.
Legislators have provided the Winnsboro center $50,000 annually through state budget earmarks since 2022. The most recent $50,000 allotment was approved in the budget that began July 1.
President began reimbursing the nonprofit for “funds fraudulently withdrawn” in June, according to the arrest warrant.
He is accused of taking $44,220 from the nonprofit’s bank account without permission between May 2023 and February 2024. When the center’s board members asked him about the missing money, President admitted to withdrawing it and agreed to pay it back, according to the warrant.
When reached by phone Thursday, President confirmed he was the center’s CEO but declined to comment.
According to the arrest warrant, the center received $100,000 in state grants from May 2022 through July 2023 for construction of a community center.
According to state budget documents, legislators approved $50,000 earmarks to the center in three consecutive budgets, starting with the budget finalized in June 2022. It’s unclear if the $100,000 cited in the warrant refers to those earmarks or some other state grant.
The earmarks were sponsored by state Rep. Annie McDaniel, D-Winnsboro, whose district includes all of Fairfield County. She did not return text or phone messages seeking comment.
State aid may be the nonprofit’s only source of revenue. Tax records from the South Carolina Secretary of State show the center started calendar year 2023 with $50,000 in assets and collected exactly $50,000 in revenue that year.
President ran unsuccessfully for the Richland District Two school board in suburban Columbia in 2018 and 2022. His wife, Anjanette President, is chair of the Richland County Board of Voter Registration and Elections. She’s also executive director of the center, according to a May 2023 document provided to the House’s budget-writing committee.