Police: Mount Pleasant surgeon reports he was swindled out of $1.5 million

A Mount Pleasant surgeon was swindled out of $1.5 million, according to the report he recently filed with police.

Dr. Thomas Funcik, owner of Coastal Facial Plastic Surgery on Waterway Boulevard, reported to Mount Pleasant Police on September 21 that he believed one of his former employees embezzled the money over the last five years, the report stated.

The employee left the job in January, according to the report, although it was unclear whether the employee was terminated or resigned.

Funcik told police he noticed suspicious charges in January and began his own investigation. He claimed he discovered the employee obtained 10 credit or debit cards without his knowledge, the report stated.

The alleged misappropriation of funds included improper payroll deposits between 2007 and 2009, it stated. Funcik also told investigators the employee's salary was doubled without Funcik's knowledge, and that the employee performed wire transfers, and forged checks and unrecorded checks.

Funcik also provided bank statements to police showing the employee used the company credit card for personal use, the report stated.

The surgeon reported to police his calculations show the unauthorized charges totaled $1,526,444, according to the report. Funcik indicated he wants to press charges against the former employee, the report said, though no charges have been filed in the case.

Reach Natalie Caula at 937-5594 or Twitter.com/ncaula.

Editor's note: Earlier versions of this story gave incorrect information about Funcik's intention to press charges against his former employee. The Post and Courier regrets the error.