Dental Practice Employee Accused of Major Financial Fraud
A staff member at a South Carolina dental practice has been arrested following allegations she embezzled more than $600,000 from her employer over several months. The case has sent shockwaves through the local community and raised questions about financial oversight in small businesses.
The Arrest and Charges
Ashanti Keyana Kinney, a 39-year-old employee of Affordable Dentures & Implants in Myrtle Beach, was taken into custody on November 18. She faces a formal charge of breach of trust with fraudulent intent, a serious offence that could carry significant penalties if she is convicted.
According to official reports, the regional manager of the dental practice filed a formal complaint with police on August 20, triggering an investigation into the missing funds. Law enforcement officials subsequently used bank records, audit documents, and scheduling paperwork to build their case against the employee.
The Alleged Scheme
Investigators claim that between January 1 and August 15, Kinney systematically stole $612,990.20 from the business. Her role involved collecting cash payments from patients and making bank deposits, a position of trust that authorities say she abused.
The alleged method involved Kinney reviewing patient accounts and marking them as 'paid' for procedures while allegedly keeping the money for herself. This created the appearance that bills had been settled while depriving the dental practice of substantial revenue over the eight-month period.
Following her arrest, Kinney posted a $20,000 bond and was released from the Horry County jail on November 19. The case continues to develop as prosecutors prepare their evidence.
Social Media Activity Raises Eyebrows
Since her release, Kinney has remained active on social media, where her posts have attracted attention given the circumstances. On her Facebook profile, she recently shared images of her weekly Sunday night dinner accompanied by a caption that finished with the hashtag '600k' and a laughing emoji.
In comments under the post, a friend defended Kinney, suggesting the media was exaggerating the story and that she couldn't have committed the alleged crimes due to her responsibilities as a mother. Kinney responded to these comments, also using laughing emojis when referring to the '$600k' figure.
In one exchange, she wrote: 'It's all good! I promise you my family would have been taken care of! FIRST! It's no way.' When her friend suggested the allegations were unfounded, Kinney replied: 'exactly! I would have moved so damn fast away from Myrtle Beach they would have NEVER caught my a**.'
It remains unclear when Kinney is due to return to court to face the charges against her.
