BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) – A Florida doctor is accused of stealing donations meant for victims of Hurricane Helene in Buncombe County.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office said Mark Anthony Smith, a doctor from Jacksonville, Florida, took thousands of dollars worth of donations meant for hurricane victims and sold some to a local pawn shop for cash.
Investigators said they received complains on October 25 about a man looting donations in the Swannanoa area.
Community members reportedly knew a suspect named Mark was driving a U-Haul truck, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies later found Smith in the U-Haul and found more than $12,000 in donations stolen from Hearts Hurt along with more than $2,000 in personal items belonging to the owner and operator of the nonprofit.
Smith was charged with breaking or entering, larceny after breaking or entering, obtain property by false pretense, trespassing during a state of emergency, failure to return hired motor vehicle, injury to personal property, felony larceny, failure to return rental property.