Hilton Head POA ex-treasurer arrested for fraud. Over $150K missing from accounts

Disgraced Hilton Head ex-treasurer Patricia Butville has turned herself in to answer allegations she stole over $150,000 from the Broad Pointe POA’s accounts during her time on the board. She was charged Monday morning with two felony counts of fraudulent breach of trust, each of which carries a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years.

Monday’s arrest marks a reversal for Broad Pointe board members, who this summer declined to pursue criminal charges against Butville. In August, and at the new request of the POA, the fraud investigation was reopened, according to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Maj. Angela Viens, and warrants for Butville’s arrest were obtained Nov. 29.

Butville’s new criminal charges represent $152,124 stolen from two of the POA’s accounts — but board members estimate she siphoned a total of $196,924.50 from the association’s funds, which was paid back in full as of Aug. 17, according to court documents. Broad Pointe leadership alleges Butville stole another $22,249.81 from the Indigo Run Community Owner’s Association, which she obtained through improper submissions of operating expenses.

At the end of June, Butville signed a confession of judgment accepting liability for the thefts, agreeing to return the embezzled funds by June 2024. Even though Broad Pointe’s missing money had been fully reimbursed by August, the POA still had a right to pursue charges for the thousands of dollars in thefts, Viens added.

At the time of publication, it was not known how much money, if any, Butville still owed to the two owners associations. Sheriff’s Office investigators say Monday’s pair of fraud charges will likely be the only criminal charges brought against Butville.

Board members informed the Broad Pointe community about the missing funds in a June 30 letter, telling POA members Butville had “prepared and circulated misleading financial reports” to the board, all while regularly issuing checks to herself from the association’s reserve fund.

Transaction records show Butville’s first unauthorized withdrawl from the POA was in the amount of $8,000 on Dec. 12, 2018, when she was not a member of the board and should not have had access to the reserve account. From then on, she withdrew money about once or twice per month, with amounts ranging from $90 to $15,000.

Butville served as secretary in 2012 and 2013 and as the board’s president in 2014, but did not fill any leadership position from 2015 to 2018. Her new tenure as treasurer began in 2019, lasting until her 2023 resignation.

As treasurer, Butville was sole signatory for the Broad Pointe POA’s account, which was “never audited” over the years. The June 30 letter says the POA has now instituted “proper checks and balances,” such as allowing both the treasurer and president full online access to financial activity. Later this year, the reserve account will be placed under the management of the Indigo Run Association, whose accounts are fully audited.

Members of the Broad Pointe POA board, including president Vince Murphy and secretary Dahlia Handman, declined to comment Monday morning. Current treasurer Craig Thornton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.