A man, identified by North Carolina deputies as a Florida doctor, faces charges for stealing donations and other items from victims affected by Hurricane Helene, officials said Monday.
According to Matt Marshall of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, Mark Anthony Smith, a certified doctor from Jacksonville, Florida, has been charged with a number of offenses following his arrest on October 25.
Marshall stated that detectives and patrol deputies got reports of a man looting contributions in the Swannanoa neighborhood.
According to Marshall, community people told deputies they knew the man named “Mark” who was driving a U-Haul truck.
Deputies discovered Smith in the U-Haul and executed a search warrant, Marshall stated.
He said police discovered more than $12,000 in stolen donations from an organization named “Hearts Hurt,” as well as more than $2,000 in personal goods belonging to the nonprofit’s owner and operator.
Detectives also discovered donations, which Smith sold to a local pawn shop for cash.