Public Defender arrested

A former Anderson-Oconee public defender has been arrested and charged with misconduct in office. The arrest warrant accuses Robert Gamble of improperly supervising and approving fraudulent or exorbitant expense reimbursements. The S.C. Law Enforcement Division also announced the arrest of Kristie Mcauley Beck on the identical charge. An affidavit attached to the arrest warrant and signed by SLED officer Elizabeth Corley alleges Beck “did engage in the private practice of law by habitually taking fees from non-indigent clients (approximately $5,000) while employed full-time at the Anderson County Public Defenders office.” A statement from the state police reads: “The arrest is a result of an investigation conducted by SLED at the request of the S.C. Commission on Indigent Defense. The case will be prosecuted by the Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.”