Kathy Ann Teague
Introduction
Kathy Ann Teague is a former building and zoning manager for the city of Union, South Carolina, who was charged on October 6, 2026 with embezzlement of public funds valued at $10,000 or more. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division filed the charge after the Union Public Safety Department requested a state investigation, and an arrest warrant alleges Teague used her city position to embezzle more than $10,000 in cash between January 2022 and June 2026 — the final four years of her time running the city’s building and zoning operations. Teague, 65, was booked into the Union County Detention Center and posted a $5,000 bond the same day.
Background Information
Teague managed building and zoning for the city of Union, a small city in Union County, South Carolina, a role that put her over permits, zoning compliance, and the fee streams attached to them. The city first acknowledged a problem in late June 2026, when it posted a statement saying an employee in its planning and zoning department had engaged in theft of public funds over a period of several months. By the time of that statement, the employee was no longer on staff, and the city said the misappropriation had been discovered through its own internal financial controls rather than an outside tip.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Charged, not convicted. Teague faces a criminal charge that has not been tried. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The Union Public Safety Department turned its investigation over to SLED, the state law-enforcement division, and asked the agency to lead the probe. On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, SLED charged Teague with Embezzlement of Public Funds – $10,000 or More, a felony. The arrest warrant cited by local reporting alleges she used her position with the city to embezzle the cash from January 2022 through June 2026; a second outlet’s reading of the warrant describes a narrower window, and that discrepancy in the alleged timeframe has not been resolved in public reporting. Either way, the alleged conduct spans years of her tenure.
Teague was arrested Monday, October 5 and booked into the Union County Detention Center, posting a $5,000 bond the same day. If convicted on the felony embezzlement charge, she faces a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison and a fine under South Carolina law. The exact amount stolen beyond the “$10,000 or more” threshold was not stated in the warrant as reported.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The city of Union’s June statement — issued while the state investigation was still running — committed the city to reviewing its internal financial controls and implementing any additional safeguards found necessary. The case’s route through SLED rather than a local prosecution, at the city’s own public safety department’s request, reflected the small-city dynamics of charging a former department head. There was no word in the charging coverage on whether Teague was fired or resigned; the city said only that she was no longer on staff by the time its June statement went out.
Current Status
Teague, 65, is out on bond, and the case is set to be prosecuted by the 16th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, with a court return scheduled for January 5, 2027. The embezzlement charge remains unadjudicated, and no plea had been reported. SLED’s announcement said details of the alleged embezzlement can be found in the attached warrant, which was not fully reproduced in public reporting.
Impact on Their Career/Life
Teague’s career in Union city government is over: the woman who ran building and zoning was off the payroll months before SLED filed its charge, after the city’s own financial controls flagged the alleged theft. The felony she now faces carries up to a decade in prison if proven, and at 65 she is answering for conduct alleged across the final years of her employment. For the city, the case has already produced the internal-controls review its June statement promised — the administrative consequence that outlasts any single prosecution.