SILER CITY, N.C. — An employee of the Siler City Police Department is facing charges after state investigators said she defrauded victims she was hired to help.

The police department confirmed it requested the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation in July to look into allegations that an employee had taken cash payments from people who were seeking help with U-Visa applications.

Police said the SBI began an investigation into the matter, and the department also launched an internal administrative review.

On Wednesday, investigators charged Gloria Maldonado, 57, with two counts of obtaining property by false pretenses. Maldonado, a domestic violence advocate with the department since 2015, was released on a written promise to appear in court on Sept. 22.

According to police, Mald

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