ANSON COUNTY, N.C. (WJZY) – The State Bureau of Investigators has opened an investigation into embezzlement allegations brought against the now-former president and CEO of the Anson County Chamber of Commerce.

The allegations were brought to the Wadesboro Police Department’s attention on March 15 but could stretch back several years.

According to the SBI, the Wadesboro Police Department then contacted them to help in the investigation.

A source within the county said the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce has been removed from her position.

Queen City News attempted to contact the Chamber of Commerce and some of its board members Thursday, but our calls have yet to be returned.

We also reached out to the Wadesboro Police Department for a comment but have not heard back.

The attorney for Anson County, Scott Forbes, stressed that the county works closely with the Chamber, but the two are separate entities.

“I hate that the SBI is involved. I hate that for her, her family, the Chamber, and our community,” he said.

The SBI would not comment on where their investigation or release the name of the individual since charges have not been filed.

Shannon O’Toole, an SBI Financial Crimes investigator, told Queen City News on Thursday that cases like these typically take between a couple of weeks to a couple of months to unfold before charges are brought, if any.

“One particular financial institution or one particular account that you’re starting off with,” he said. “But as you can imagine, especially with a debit card or a checking account, the money can go from bank to bank or account to account.”

He has been assigned this case but said investigators usually start by going through each transaction to determine which was a part of the embezzlement and which was associated with the business itself.

“You’re going to have to track a lot of those down,” he explained. “That could take time, depending on the number of transactions in any given month that you’re going to, you know, that you receive once you get those bank records.”

Queen City News, CBS 17’s sister station in Charlotte, has also reached out, by e-mail, to the individual being investigated, but said they have yet to respond.