Following a State Bureau of Investigation examination, former Sylva town board member Anne Cabe has been indicted on 20 counts of embezzlement from New Savannah Baptist Church.

According to the indictments, Cabe had access to church funds through her position as an officer of the Jackson County church. In January of 2004, Cabe allegedly began taking church funds in amounts ranging from $100 to $3,200 for her personal use. In all, $21,725 was taken from the church, according to indictments.

As of Tuesday morning, indictments had not yet been processed and local law enforcement officials were unsure exactly which direction the case would take, though an arraignment most likely will follow.

“That entire investigation has been handled by the SBI,” said Capt. Steve Lillard of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. “We really don’t have anything to do with it.”

SBI officials still will not comment on any specifics regarding the case.

“We considered our investigation closed,” said William McKinney, a Department of Justice public information officer.

Cabe and New Savannah Baptist Church’s Rev. Ray Knowles did not return phone calls regarding the case.

Town of Sylva officials have said that they do not suspect Cabe of improperly using any town funds. Auditors have reviewed Sylva town books and have found no accounting errors, said Town Manager Jay Denton.

“There were no town assets involved in this,” Denton said earlier this month.

Cabe planned to run for re-election this past November, but resigned from her seat just two weeks before the election. Cabe was appointed to the town board after her husband, Eldon Cabe, died during his term in office in March 2003. Her bid to fill the remainder of her husband’s term was unopposed in November 2003.