District of South Carolina

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Christopher Cunningham, 34, of Columbia, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for stealing firearms from a licensed firearms dealer.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that on March 6, 2022, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Cunningham and a co-conspirator broke into a retail store on Garner’s Ferry Road and stole two shotguns and two rifles by forcefully opening a display case in the sporting goods section. The City of Columbia Police Department responded, viewed the surveillance video of the incident, and collected fingerprints from the display case. Cunningham was identified from the surveillance footage, and further investigation confirmed the fingerprints collected from the display case belonged to Cunningham. Cunningham had prior convictions for burglary, grand larceny, malicious injury to personal property, and multiple shopliftings.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Cunningham to 57 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Shabazz Akeem Isiah Watson, 27, of Saint Stephen, was sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to arson during the protests and riots that occurred in Downtown Charleston on May 30 and 31, 2020.

Evidence presented to the court showed that at 10:33 pm on May 30, 2020, during a protest that turned violent following the death of George Floyd, Watson entered a wine bar on King Street. Watson took several paper menus from the counter, set them on fire with a lighter, and placed them under a wooden barstool. Watson repeated this process multiple times until the fire grew. There were multiple individuals inside the business, but Watson was solely responsible for starting the fire.

Watson moved on, and at 11:09 pm, he entered a retail clothing store on King Street. Watson ran to the back of the store and lit merchandise and clothing on fire. Watson then quickly exited. Before the fires grew out of control, another individual entered the store and used a fire extinguisher to put the fires out.

At 11:55 pm, Watson entered a paint store on Meeting Street. He lit a cardboard display on fire and quickly exited the store.

Finally, on May 31, 2020, at 12:55 am, Watson entered a retail store on Meeting Street. Watson approached a row of merchandise and lit several items on fire. Watson then walked to the paper towel/toilet paper row and lit several more items on fire. The fires grew rapidly and eventually burned the entire building and everything inside, resulting in the business remaining closed for several months during repairs.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will defend the right of every South Carolinian to peacefully protest and to protest without threats to their physical safety,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “Those who use protests as cover for violent acts that endanger our community will be held accountable. We are grateful to ATF, the Charleston Police Department, and the Charleston Fire Department, whose thorough and professional investigations brought this arsonist to justice.”

“It was unfortunate to see individuals take advantage of the protests occurring at the time to cause harm and major damage to the community,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “Through a determined and collaborative effort, we are seeing those individuals face the consequences of their dangerous actions.”

“In pursuing such an extraordinarily complex case, this successful investigation truly came from collaboration among law enforcement partners. The exceptional work done by the dedicated detectives, analysts, and officers from the Charleston Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Attorney’s Office to garner this indictment against someone who terrorized our city is nothing short of remarkable,” said Charleston Police Department Deputy Chief Jack Weiss. “I want to thank everyone who was involved in this case and who dedicated their time, energy, and expertise every single day. They reviewed countless hours of video from citizens and business owners, shared information, and followed up on innumerable leads, ultimately culminating in a successful investigation and conviction. I’d also like to thank the community, the Mayor, and our city council for their continued and unwavering support. Finally, I’d like to thank the Charleston Fire Department whose members stood by law enforcement and ensured everyone’s safety.”

United States District Judge Richard Gergel sentenced Watson to 5 years in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. All told, Watson caused $2,415,510.75 in damage to the four businesses. Watson was ordered to pay restitution in that full amount as part of his sentencing.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charleston Police Department, and Charleston Fire Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Eric Rashun Jones, a/k/a “E Dolla,” a/k/a “E,” 31, of Newberry, has pleaded guilty to Human Trafficking Conspiracy, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, and Witness Tampering.

As to the Human Trafficking Conspiracy conviction, evidence presented in court showed that from August 2018 through November 2022, Jones worked together with at least one other person to prostitute women in the commercial sex trade by force, fraud, and coercion.  He did so by physical violence: Jones broke one victim’s orbital socket and burst her ear drum; he hit another victim regularly with a closed fist.  Videos recovered by FBI showed Jones directing the physical assault of women who worked for him.  He also forced women to engage in sexual acts with him and others.  Jones also exploited the drug addictions of victims, including by withholding the fentanyl one victim was dependent on as punishment and by paying others for commercial sex with the drugs they were dependent on.  He also threatened to kill one victim and her family.  Further, Jones exercised high levels of control: he managed online advertisements for the commercial sex, he controlled when and where women would work, and he determined whether and how proceeds would be divided.

As to the Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition conviction, evidence presented in court showed that Lexington County 911 received a call on June 25, 2019, from a victim who told law enforcement that Jones had forced her into prostitution, that he had confiscated proceeds, and that he had stolen her phone, money, and pistol.  The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department responded and found Jones in a hotel room with two women, one of whom was partially undressed.  Inside the hotel room was a Springfield 9mm handgun loaded with 6 rounds.  Jones admitted to hiding the firearm under the mattress.  At the time, federal law prohibited Jones from firearm possession as a result of prior felony convictions, including for Strong Arm Robbery, Common Law Robbery, and Assault & Battery 1st Degree.

As to the Witness Tampering conviction, evidence presented in court showed that between August and November 2022, while in federal custody, Jones called a woman involved with him in commercial sex and told her on a recorded jail call to “say nothing at all” to federal law enforcement, to “never say nothing,” to “tell those mother f***ers you know nothing,” and to “f*** the police, the police aint your family.”  Separately, over a five-day span, Jones called that victim 40 times.  Jones also told her he has “a third eye on the street,” and in a prior hearing it was alleged that Jones was a member of a street gang.

Pursuant to a plea agreement, Jones agreed to pay victims restitution and to register as a sex offender.  He also agreed to forfeit jewelry, U.S. currency, a firearm, and electronics used or purchased with proceeds of criminal conduct.  Jones faces a maximum penalty of Life in prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and Lifetime supervision to follow a term of imprisonment.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Jones after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Greenville Police Department, Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Simpsonville Police Department, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Don Everett Peters, III, a/k/a “Pop,” 20, and Shylik Lamont Smalls, a/k/a “Mitch,” 21, both of Columbia, South Carolina, along with Elijah Rasue Dewayne Ellis, a/k/a “Smoke,” a/k/a “Black,” 20, of Valdosta, Georgia, have each pleaded guilty to their roles in the March 17, 2022, armed robbery of a United States Postal Letter Carrier in Columbia.

Peters, Smalls, and Ellis each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit armed robbery of a United States Postal Letter Carrier, assault/armed robbery of a United States Postal Letter Carrier, and theft/possession of a United States Postal arrow key. Peters and Smalls also each pleaded guilty to theft/possession of United States mail.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Peters, Smalls, and Ellis conspired to rob a postal carrier of his arrow key, which would give them access to locked mail collection boxes. On the afternoon of March 17, 2022, after surveilling another postal carrier in the Hollywood-Rose Hill/Rosewood area of Columbia, the trio decided to rob a letter carrier making his rounds on Hollywood Drive. While Peters waited in the getaway car, Smalls and Ellis—while wearing masks—approached the carrier. Ellis pointed a gun at the carrier and demanded his keys.  Peters then picked up the two co-conspirators and they fled the area.

After an extensive investigation, including review of numerous surveillance cameras and interviewing witnesses, law enforcement authorities linked the getaway vehicle to Peters. After a review of Peters’ prior encounters with law enforcement and cell phone records, postal inspectors were able to link Smalls to Peters. They determined that Smalls matched the description of one of the robbers, that both Smalls and Peters had access to firearms, and that Smalls was in possession of clothing matching the description of the clothing worn by one of the robbers.

Search warrants were obtained for Peters’ and Smalls’ apartments and vehicles and executed on May 4, 2022. Smalls was found with the stolen arrow key in his pants pocket. Investigators also recovered stolen mail, check making materials, several electronic devices such as cell phones and laptops, and two privately made firearms, which are commonly known as “ghost guns.” One ghost gun was found in Peters’ bedroom and the other in Smalls’ bedroom. Inside Peters’ car, Inspectors found documentation belonging to Ellis.

After waiving their rights, both Peters and Smalls admitted to being involved in the robbery, along with Ellis. Peters and Smalls were placed under arrest and a warrant was issued for Ellis. On May 31, 2022, Ellis was arrested in Valdosta, Georgia, where he was found in possession of a “ghost gun” and a quantity of marijuana. After advice of rights, Ellis admitted to being involved in the robbery with Peters and Smalls. Peters, Smalls, and Ellis remain in custody as they were federally detained following their 2022 arrests.

“Robbing postal carriers for their keys is becoming a national trend, and it will not be tolerated in South Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “We are committed to using federal investigative and prosecutorial resources to swiftly bringing to justice those who harm Postal Service employees.”

“Protecting the employees of the United States Postal Service is a top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “We want to thank our law enforcement partners that worked tirelessly to apprehend these dangerous individuals.”

The three men face a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison on the assault/armed robbery of the postal carrier charge, a maximum of 10 years in prison on the theft/possession of an arrow key charge, and a maximum of 5 years in prison on both the conspiracy and the theft/possession of mail charges. They each also face a fine of up to $250,000 for each charge, restitution, and up to 5 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence the trio after receiving and reviewing sentencing reports prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Columbia Police Department. Additionally, the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Lowndes County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office assisted in the arrest of Ellis. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey D. Haynes and Lamar Fyall are prosecuting the case.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA —Two Jamaican nationals – Tyrell Harris, 32, and Errol Durrant, 60 – were each sentenced to more than five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to their roles in a fraudulent lottery scam that targeted elderly victims around the country.

Evidence presented to the court showed that, as part of the scheme, the defendants or their co-conspirators would contact elderly victims and falsely inform the victims that they had won a sweepstakes.  The supposed prizes in these sweepstakes usually consisted of millions of dollars, a new vehicle, or other valuable items.  The defendants and their co-conspirators would tell the victims that they needed to pay bogus fees and/or taxes in order to collect their purported winnings.

The defendants and their co-conspirators would direct the elderly victims where to send the bogus fees and/or taxes.  Evidence showed victims purchased prepaid cards, USPS money orders, and bank money orders, and mailed cash/personal checks to the defendants. The defendants in turn wired the fraudulent funds to co-conspirators in Jamaica and amongst various bank accounts opened and controlled by them. 

The defendants received more than $1.7 million from the victims they targeted, and at least 70 victims were targeted across 15 states.

United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Tyrell Harris to 90 months in federal prison and Errol Durrant to 80 months in federal prison.  Both defendants’ sentences are to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision, in the event they are not deported upon release. There is no parole in the federal system. The defendants were also ordered to pay $1,700,512.90 in restitution. 

“The District of South Carolina is committed to prosecuting scams that target vulnerable citizens,” said United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs.  “ We appreciate the hard work of our federal agency partners and the continued efforts to investigate these crimes.”

“These individuals preyed on some of the most vulnerable members in our community,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners will continue our commitment to protect our citizens and bring those responsible for these illegal schemes to justice.”  

“This sentence is the result of great work by HSI and our partners at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to bring these criminals to justice,” said Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent in Charge for HSI Charlotte, which covers North and South Carolina. “These types of crimes can have devastating effects on the elderly and HSI will aggressively pursue criminal prosecution to dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations, both domestically and internationally,  to bring justice to the victims.”

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Amy Bower prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – Following the armed robbery of a bank ATM on Fairfield Road in Columbia, five Columbia men have been sentenced collectively to more than 42 years in federal prison:

• Anthony Bernard Hopkins, a/k/a “Tony Cash,” 34, was sentenced to more than 12 years (154 months) in prison after pleading guilty to Armed Bank Robbery and Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of Crime of Violence.
• Kenneth Boyles, Jr., a/k/a “Kilo”, 22, was sentenced to more than 11 years (141 months) in prison after pleading guilty to Armed Bank Robbery and Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of Crime of Violence.
• Aquan Shanard Hopkins, 28, was sentenced to more than 8 years (97 months) in prison after pleading guilty to Armed Bank Robbery and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
• Denzel Malik Goodwin, a/k/a “Zell”, 26, of Columbia, South Carolina, and Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced to more than 6 years (73 months) in prison after pleading guilty to Armed Bank Robbery and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
• Antwan Kanard Hopkins, 35, was sentenced to more than 4 years (50 months) in prison after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Marijuana.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that around 4:00 PM on May 31, 2020, six subjects (Anthony Hopkins, Kenneth Boyles, Aquan Hopkins, Denzel Goodwin, and two minors) participated in the armed bank robbery an ATM on Fairfield Road in Columbia while it was being serviced by a technician and protected by an armed security guard.  Evidence presented also indicated all of the defendants are relatives: Aquan Hopkins, Anthony Hopkins, Antwan Hopkins, and Kenneth Boyles are brothers, and Denzel Goodwin is their cousin. 

Surveillance video showed a Dodge Charger parked behind the ATM and a Chevrolet Caprice parked in the drive-through lane of the ATM.  Both vehicles belonged to Aquan Hopkins. 

The private security guard noticed the Caprice pull in, and she approached the vehicle to advise that the ATM was closed.  While she was walking toward the Caprice, Aquan Hopkins, wearing a ski mask, placed the muzzle of a long gun to her head; that gun had an extended drum magazine attached.  Aquan Hopkins laid the security guard face-down on the ground at gunpoint.  A minor who participated in the robbery then stole the security guard’s Glock 9mm service pistol.

The ATM service technician then fled on foot, and with the ATM open, Anthony Hopkins and Kenneth Boyles stole $108,940 from the ATM.  The defendants returned to the two cars and fled to an apartment complex where a family member lived to split the proceeds.  Denzel Goodwin and the second minor remained in the vehicles throughout the robbery. 

Homes associated with the defendants were searched.  Law enforcement recovered more than $32,000 in robbery proceeds, four firearms (including the long gun used), ammunition, and the drum magazine used, which was loaded with 46 rounds.  At the time of the robbery, Aquan Hopkins served as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force as a security forces Airman.

Antwan Hopkins was prosecuted in a related case.  When a house was searched following the robbery, he was found in possession of more than 200 grams of marijuana packaged for distribution, two firearms (an Anderson AM 15 rifle loaded with 22 rounds and an FN Five-Seven 5.56mm pistol loaded with 21 rounds), a bill counter, a digital scale, and vacuum-seal bags.  Antwan Hopkins had numerous prior drug and firearm-related felony convictions that prohibited him from possessing firearms under federal law.  Anthony Hopkins and Kenneth Boyes also had prior felony convictions at the time of the robbery.

Anthony Hopkins was arrested by the FBI and the United States Marshals in California, where he fled after his photograph in the robbery was broadcast on the news.  Denzel Goodwin was arrested by the United States Marshals in Missouri.  Kenneth Boyles was arrested in Florence, South Carolina, on a bus with fake identification. 

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Anthony Hopkins, Kenneth Boyles, and Denzel Goodwin, and United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Antwan Hopkins and Aquan Hopkins.  All five defendants are subject to between 3 and 5 years of court-ordered supervision following their terms of imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

Anthony Hopkins, Kenneth Boyles, Aquan Hopkins, and Denzel Goodwin were ordered to pay $108,940 in restitution to the victim bank.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the City of Columbia Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Ty’Qwane Antonio Dix, 26, of North Charleston, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a minor.

In October 2022, Dix pleaded guilty to use of an interstate commerce facility to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. According to court documents and hearings, from August 2020 through January 2021, Dix portrayed himself online as a 19-year-old male. In that capacity, he enticed and coerced a 12-year-old girl in Virginia into sending him sexually explicit videos and images of herself via Snapchat. Dix later threatened to send her videos/images to others if she did not comply with his requests.

United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Dix to 151 months in prison, to be followed by a life term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean H. Secor prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Jae’Kwon Rumph, 23, of Columbia, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that on March 2, 2022, the City of Columbia Police Department (CPD) received a ShotSpotter Alert on Colleton Street. CPD officers responded to the location and found four 9mm shell casings. CPD investigators recovered surveillance video of the incident, which displayed Rumph shooting at a moving vehicle. At the time of the shooting, Rumph was a known gang member, and he was identified by members of law enforcement.

After the shooting, Rumph was arrested wearing the same clothing that he had on in the surveillance video from the shooting incident.

On April 23, 2022, West Columbia Police Department recovered a firearm during a traffic stop. The recovered firearm had a NIBIN link to the shell casings from the shooting on March 2, 2022. A firearm and tool mark analyst with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division confirmed the link and determined the recovered firearm fired the shell casings found at the shooting scene.

Federal law prohibits Rumph from possessing a firearm due to his prior convictions for Domestic Violence First Degree and Strong Arm Robbery.

United States District Court Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Rumph to 70 months in prison to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.

The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case was investigated by the City of Columbia Police Department, the West Columbia Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA —Deeana Burr, 54, of Charleston, South Carolina, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Burr, a licensed nurse practitioner who became a 15% co-owner of Atlantic Coast Integrated Medicine (ACIM) in September 2017, participated in scheme to defraud Medicare and TRICARE by submitting claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (DME) and certain procedure codes.

The evidence revealed that ACIM generally had a standardized treatment plan for all patients that lasted 12 weeks, with the expectation that the patient receive care three times a week. Followed by an initial evaluation consisting of a head to feet musculoskeletal exam and more than a dozen x-rays ordered by an ACIM clinician, the treatment plan, authorized by an ACIM clinician, included the issuing of multiple DME.  Much of the DME issued, and subsequently billed to Medicare and/or TRICARE, was determined to be medically unnecessary throughout the investigation.

Burr faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.  She also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and 3 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  United States District Judge David Norton accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Burr after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was investigated by Agent Ryan Schubert with the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower is prosecuting the case.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Justin Michael Beauvais, 39, of Summerville, was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that in October 2020, Beauvais was a subcontractor working at the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) at McMurdo Station in Antarctica but was on leave in South Carolina. While on leave, he accepted a new job and contacted his coworkers at McMurdo station to request that they mail his personal hard drive to his home in Summerville, South Carolina. On October 8, 2020, Beauvais emailed his coworkers and requested they reformat his hard drive and mail it to him. On October 13, 2020, a coworker located the hard drive and viewed it to download movies. At that time, the coworker located a video that depicted a nude prepubescent girl. The coworkers reported the incident, and superiors confirmed that there was child pornography on the hard drive.

On October 28, 2020, Beauvais waived his Miranda rights and was interviewed by Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) agents. Beauvais initially denied having child pornography on the hard drive. Thereafter, Beauvais consented to a polygraph examination and consented to all his electronics being seized from his residence. Beauvais admitted to possessing child pornography on the hard drive that was in Antarctica. Beauvais stated he copied child pornography from his personal device in South Carolina to the hard drive and then took the hard drive with him to Antarctica.

Agents obtained consent to search Beauvais’ residence and seized numerous electronic devices following the search, including hard drives, laptops, and cell phones. A review of the devices revealed thousands of images depicting child pornography, including images depicting pre-pubescent minors and toddlers.

United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Beauvais to 97 months in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. Judge Hendricks also ordered Beauvais to pay $51,500 in restitution to the victims.

The case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean H. Secor and Emily E. Limehouse prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — A Columbia, South Carolina, return preparer and regional manager of multiple tax preparation business locations pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States by preparing and filing false tax returns.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Georgina Gonzalez, formerly of Miami, Florida, worked as a tax return preparer since at least 2013. For the 2016 and 2017 tax filing seasons, Gonzalez temporarily relocated from Florida to South Carolina to prepare tax returns and manage multiple locations of a tax preparation business located in Columbia, South Carolina. At these offices, Gonzalez conspired with others to inflate client refunds by preparing returns that falsely claimed, among other things, business losses, household help income, and American Opportunity and education tax credits. Gonzalez and her co-conspirators charged clients up to $999 for preparing each return. In total, Gonzalez caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $420,000.

Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and other monetary penalties. U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Ashley Stein, Francesca Bartolomey, and Jessica Kraft of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday of the District of South Carolina are prosecuting the case.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Cory H. Fleming, 54, of Beaufort, is scheduled to plead guilty in federal court tomorrow, Thursday, May 25, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Fleming is scheduled to plead guilty to an information alleging that from in or around March 2018 until at least October 2020, Fleming conspired with former personal injury attorney Richard Alexander “Alex” Murdaugh to defraud the estate of Murdaugh’s former housekeeper and to obtain money and property from the estate by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses.

In February 2018, Murdaugh’s housekeeper passed away after a fall at Murdaugh’s home. Murdaugh recommended that the housekeeper’s estate hire Fleming—then a personal injury and criminal defense attorney in Beaufort—to represent them and file a claim against Murdaugh to collect from his homeowner’s insurance policies.  Murdaugh’s insurance companies settled the estate’s claim for $505,000 and $3,800,000.

The information alleges that, as part of the scheme, Murdaugh and Fleming conspired to siphon settlement funds, disguised as “prosecution expenses,” for their own personal enrichment. The information further alleges that Fleming directed the drafting of checks from the settlement funds held in his trust account to his personal bank account, fraudulently claiming that the funds were to pay for “expenses” related to the estate’s claim against Murdaugh. The information alleges Fleming knew the funds belonged to the estate, and the payments were not for legitimate legal expenses.

The hearing is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at the J. Waties Waring Judicial Center, 83 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina, in Courtroom 1, before The Honorable Richard M. Gergel.

Fleming faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse, Kathleen Stoughton, and Winston Holliday are prosecuting the case. 

The case against Fleming is No. 9:22-cr-394 (D.S.C.).  The case against Murdaugh is No. 9:23-cr-396 (D.S.C.). 

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Tavares Cromer, 29, of Columbia, was sentenced to 56 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Felon.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that on May 10, 2022, the City of Columbia Police Department (CPD) responded to a shooting on Bailey St. and found multiple fired shell casings.

CPD investigators recovered surveillance video from Bailey St. that showed Cromer and an accomplice discharging a firearm at unknown individuals before fleeing the scene. CPD officers compared Cromer’s position in the video to the location of the recovered shell casings and determined that Cromer left behind .40 caliber shell casings.

On May 13, 2022, officers with the CPD Crime Gun Intelligence Unit executed a search warrant at Cromer’s residence. Cromer was present at the residence and was wearing the same shirt he had on in the surveillance video of the shooting. At the residence, officers recovered two firearms and multiple calibers of ammunition in his bedroom. The .40 caliber ammunition found in his bedroom was the same brand as the ammunition Cromer left at the shooting scene.

During this incident, Cromer was on court-ordered supervision for a prior federal conviction for Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Additionally, Cromer had prior state convictions for Strong Arm Robbery, Burglary 2nd Degree, and Assault and Battery 1st Degree. All of those federal and state convictions prohibited Cromer from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Cromer to 56 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the City of Columbia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury has returned a 22-count indictment against Richard Alexander “Alex” Murdaugh, 54, of Hampton, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; bank fraud; wire fraud; and money laundering. 

“Trust in our legal system begins with trust in its lawyers,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs.  “South Carolinians turn to lawyers when they are at their most vulnerable, and in our state, those who abuse the public’s trust and enrich themselves by fraud, theft, and self-dealing will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  We are grateful to the FBI for their tireless work on this case and to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for their work to hold Alex Murdaugh, and those who enabled him, accountable in our state system. We remain committed to doing our part to further that effort in the federal system.”

Murdaugh was a personal injury attorney at a law firm in Hampton, South Carolina.  The indictment alleges that Murdaugh engaged in three different schemes to obtain money and property from his personal injury clients.

In one scheme, the indictment alleges that from at least September 2005 until at least September 2021, Murdaugh devised a scheme to defraud and to obtain money by means of false pretenses.  The indictment alleges that, as part of the scheme, Murdaugh routed and redirected clients’ settlement funds to personally enrich himself, including by:

• Drafting, or directing law firm employees to draft, disbursement sheets to send settlement funds to Murdaugh’s accounts without proper disclosure or client or law firm approval;
• Claiming funds held in the law firm’s trust account as attorney’s fees and directing the disbursement of those funds for his benefit;
• Claiming and collecting attorney’s fees on fake or nonexistent annuities;
• Creating fraudulent “expenses” that were never incurred on client matters and directing the disbursement of settlement funds to pay the cited costs, including claimed medical expenses, construction expenses, and airline expenses;
• Directing other attorneys with whom he was associated on client matters to disburse attorney’s fees directly to him, rather than appropriately routing the fees through the law firm; and
• Intercepting insurance proceeds intended for beneficiaries and depositing them directly into his personal account.

In a second scheme, the indictment alleges that from in or around July 2011 until at least October 2021, Murdaugh conspired with his banker, Russell Laffitte, to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.  The indictment alleges that Murdaugh and his law firm asked Laffitte to serve as personal representative or conservator for numerous personal injury clients.  Laffitte collected over $350,000 in fees as personal representative or conservator for Murdaugh’s personal injury clients. 

As part of the scheme, the indictment alleges Murdaugh directed law firm employees to make settlement checks payable to “Palmetto State Bank.”  The checks were then delivered to Laffitte, whom Murdaugh directed to use the settlement funds for Murdaugh’s benefit.  The funds were used to pay off Murdaugh’s personal loans and for personal expenses and cash withdrawals.

In November 2022, Laffitte was convicted on six federal charges, including conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, bank fraud, and wire fraud for his role in this scheme.  He is currently awaiting sentencing.

In a third scheme, the indictment alleges that in September 2015, Murdaugh created a bank account in the name of “Forge,” presenting as a legitimate corporation for structuring insurance settlements.  Murdaugh was the owner of and the only authorized signer on this “fake Forge” account.  The indictment alleges that from in or around May 2017 through at least July 2021, Murdaugh funneled stolen personal injury settlements through the “fake Forge” account.  Murdaugh is charged with 14 counts of money laundering for using the transactions in the “fake Forge” account to conceal the proceeds of his fraud.

The indictment further alleges that, from in or around February 2018 until at least October 2020, Murdaugh conspired with a personal injury attorney in Beaufort to defraud the estate of Murdaugh’s former housekeeper and Murdaugh’s homeowner’s insurance carriers.  In February 2018, Murdaugh’s housekeeper passed away after a fall at Murdaugh’s home.  Murdaugh recommended that the housekeeper’s estate hire the Beaufort attorney to represent them and file a claim against Murdaugh to collect from his homeowner’s insurance policies. 

Murdaugh’s insurance companies settled the estate’s claim for $505,000 and $3,800,000. The indictment alleges that Murdaugh and the personal injury attorney conspired to siphon settlement funds, disguised as “prosecution expenses,” for their own personal enrichment. The indictment further alleges that Murdaugh directed the Beaufort attorney to draft checks totaling $3,483,431.95 made payable to “Forge.”  Murdaugh then deposited the checks into his “fake Forge” account and used the funds for his own personal enrichment.  The estate did not receive any of the settlement funds.

Murdaugh faces the following charges:

• One count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000;
• One count of bank fraud, punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000;
• Two counts of wire fraud, punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000;
• Three counts of wire fraud, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000;
• One count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000; and
• Fourteen counts of money laundering, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000.

All charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse, Kathleen Stoughton, and Winston Holliday are prosecuting the case. 

The case against Murdaugh is No. 9:23-cr-396 (D.S.C.).  The case against Laffitte is No. 9:22-cr-658 (D.S.C.).

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A Columbia, South Carolina, return preparer and regional manager of multiple tax preparation business locations pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to defraud the United States by preparing and filing false tax returns.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Georgina Gonzalez, formerly of Miami, Florida, worked as a tax return preparer since at least 2013. For the 2016 and 2017 tax filing seasons, Gonzalez temporarily relocated from Florida to South Carolina to prepare tax returns and manage multiple locations of a tax preparation business located in Columbia, South Carolina. At these offices, Gonzalez conspired with others to inflate client refunds by preparing returns that falsely claimed, among other things, business losses, household help income, and American Opportunity and education tax credits. Gonzalez and her co-conspirators charged clients up to $999 for preparing each return. In total, Gonzalez caused a tax loss to the IRS of more than $420,000.

Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and other monetary penalties. U.S. District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Ashley Stein, Francesca Bartolomey, and Jessica Kraft of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday of the District of South Carolina are prosecuting the case.

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA --- United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs announced today the winners of the United States Attorney’s Office’s 20th Annual Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Logo Contest.

The theme was “Preventing Gun Violence in Our Schools,” and the contest was open to all SC grade school students. Judges sought logos that demonstrated a successful collaboration between schools, communities, and law enforcement to reflect (1) warning signs that students should be looking for related to gun violence; (2) resources to help students who have concerns about gun violence; and (3) general messages to prevent gun violence in South Carolina schools. The overall winning logo will be displayed on our website and used in various presentations. 

“Every year, we look forward to the entries submitted by SC students and gathering their input on how to curb gun violence in our schools. These students are important voices that we all need to listen to in addressing this national issue,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs.  “We hope that the winning artwork will capture the attention of other students and inspire them to use their voices in combatting gun violence.” 

The winner from each grade division and the overall winner, along with their schools, are named below. Media should contact the respective schools to determine details of any award presentations to be held:

K–2ND GRADE DIVISION

Winner - Harlem Foster, 2nd grade

Fairfield Magnet School for Math & Science, Winnsboro, SC

Honorable Mention - Rocco Fuhr, 2nd grade

Memminger Elementary, Charleston, SC

3RD–5TH GRADE DIVISION/OVERALL WINNER

Winner/Overall Winner - Andrea Gaston, 5th grade

Wallace Elementary Middle School, Wallace, SC

Honorable Mention - Kaylee Summers, 5th grade

Fairfield Magnet School for Math & Science, Winnsboro, SC

6TH–8TH GRADE DIVISION

Winner - Ky’Mari Johnson, 8th grade

William J. Clark Middle School, Orangeburg, SC

Honorable Mention - Abryelle Bignal, 6th grade

Fairfield Magnet School for Math & Science, Winnsboro, SC

9TH–12TH GRADE DIVISION

Winner - Samantha Morales, 9th grade

C. A. Johnson High School, Columbia, SC

Honorable Mention - Paige Shea, 11th grade

Battery-Creek High School, Beaufort, SC

The winning entries were chosen by “The Insiders,” a select group of young leaders at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice who act as role models for the other youth. The South Carolina Sheriffs’ Association is providing $50.00 awards to each division winner, as well as an additional $50 to the overall winner.  Additionally, all students who participated will receive a Certificate of Appreciation for their submissions.

The annual logo contest is a long-running part of the district’s PSN program and an important prevention initiative to engage our students in meaningful conversation about preventing gun crimes amongst our young people and ensuring a safe learning atmosphere for our children.  PSN focuses on reducing violent crime in our communities through prevention, enforcement, and re-entry initiatives. 

View this year’s winning submissions and learn more about the contest at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/programs/ceasefire/project-sentry/contest-winners.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Bernard Breeland, 36, of Columbia, was convicted following a jury trial in federal court of being a Felon in Possession of Ammunition.

Evidence presented by the Government at trial established that on February 4, 2020, the City of Columbia Police Department (CPD) responded to a shooting incident at a local apartment complex. CPD officers discovered a living male victim with multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot, along with 9 fired .45 auto shell casings.

Further investigation by CPD led to the recovery of surveillance camera footage that captured the incident. The video showed Breeland shooting a man multiple times at close range in the parking lot and then running away from the crime scene. Surveillance footage showed the shooting took place in a portion of the parking lot where CPD later recovered the .45 auto shell casings.

The shell casings were all the same brand, and a Nexus expert with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) testified that the shell casings affected interstate commerce because they were manufactured outside of South Carolina.

Federal law prohibits Breeland from possessing ammunition based on his prior felony convictions.

More than 50 exhibits were entered into evidence during the two-day trial, and the jury ultimately convicted Breeland on the sole count of being a Felon in Possession of Ammunition.

United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., presided over the trial and will sentence Breeland after receiving and reviewing the pre-sentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office.  Breeland faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

This case was investigated by the City of Columbia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lamar J. Fyall and Benjamin Garner are prosecuting the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a 21-count indictment against Stamatina Bourret a/k/a Nina Bourret, 41, of Greenville, South Carolina, for health care fraud.

The indictment alleges that Bourret, through her company Agapi Behavior Consultants, billed Medicaid for services to treat Autism Spectrum Disorder that were either not rendered and/or a portion of the services billed to Medicaid were not provided. 

Bourret faces a maximum penalty of ten years on each count.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower is prosecuting the case. 

U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs announced today that 26 individuals, many of them associates of a significant narcotics trafficking organization, have been indicted on a wide variety of charges—including conspiracy, drug trafficking, illegal use and possession of firearms, wire fraud, and money laundering—after a series of investigations in South Carolina.

The investigation and arrests were announced in a joint press conference held at the North Charleston City Hall by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Secret Service (USSS), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), and nine state and local law enforcement agency partners.

A portion of the investigation focused on a drug trafficking organization based primarily out of North Charleston.  It was led by the FBI and is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The 13 defendants charged in that portion of the investigation are:

• Monta Peatro Harley, 34, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Cocaine Base, Cocaine, and Marijuana; Possessing Cocaine Base with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking;

• Xzayvier Vanyon Harley, 25, of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Cocaine Base, Cocaine and Marijuana;

• Trevion Swansea Wigfall, 25, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Heroin; Possessing Fentanyl and Heroin with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking;

• Ariana Donnise Hamilton, 26, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl;

• Luther Antonio Smith, 22, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl;

• DeAndre Malik Horry, 25, of Mount Pleasant, charged with Fentanyl; Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking;

• Davonte Durrell Reid, 28, of Ladson, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl;

• Damon Christopher Heyward, 25, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl;

• Davion LaPrince Anderson, 23, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl;

• Eurie Gerard Richardson, 30, of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl;

• Scotty Orlando Simmons, 25, of Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Cocaine Base;

• Zavie London Jefferson, 28, of Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine; and

• Dexter Deandre Ferguson-Fuller, 24, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base; Possessing Cocaine and Cocaine Base with Intent to Distribute; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking.

Another portion of the investigation focused on individuals in the Charleston area conspiring to illegally obtain firearms through the use of straw purchasers.  It was led by the ATF and is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was also made possible in part by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.

The five individuals charged in this portion of the case are:

• Bernard Freeman Scott, Jr., 24, of Ladson, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms; Making False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms; and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon;

• Andre Moore, 24, of Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon;

• Nykobie Bryant Fleming, 26, of Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms and Making False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms;

• Jedarius Tyewon Haynes Dessausure, 26, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms and Making False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms; and

• Jasmine Lasha Smalls, 27, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms and Making False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms.

The third portion of the investigation focused on individuals in Summerville and North Charleston conspiring to commit wire fraud.  One individual was also charged with money laundering.  This portion of the investigation was led by the FBI, Secret Service, IRS, and SBA. 

The eight individuals charged in this portion of the case are:

• Staci Harley, 41, of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud;

• Roberta Harley, 61, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Wire Fraud; and Money Laundering;

• Anthony Harley, 40, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud;

• Zyaisha Blue, 22, of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud;

• Benjamin Blue, 42, of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud;

• Antanasia Harley, 20, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud;

• Anthony Pinckney, 40, of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud;

• Sheniqua Mitchell, 37, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud.

In addition to the FBI, ATF, Secret Service, IRS, and SBA, these cases were investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Charleston Police Department, North Charleston Police Department, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Summerville Police Department, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, and Charleston Fire Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Whit Sowards and Amy Bower are prosecuting the cases with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. 

U.S. Attorney Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictments are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Mohammad Ribhi Farraj, 43, of Florence, South Carolina, and Marvet Masoud, 34, of Homestead, Florida, were sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to unemployment insurance benefits.

Evidence presented to the court showed that Farraj and Masoud engaged in a scheme with others to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.  As part of the scheme, members of the conspiracy submitted applications in four states – Arizona, New York, Florida, and South Carolina – using the personal identifying information of other individuals, sometimes without the person’s permission.  In some instances, members of the conspiracy would apply for benefits in multiple states using the same individual’s information.  Members of the conspiracy then received the funds associated with the fraudulent claims, primarily through either direct deposit or debit cards.  The investigation revealed a total of 69 fraudulent claims associated with the scheme, resulting in a total loss of $454,074.00 in unemployment insurance funds.  Through this scheme, defendants exploited the flexibility afforded to those unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As to Farraj, evidence presented to the court showed that Farraj obtained debit cards with unemployment insurance funds which were associated with the fraudulent claims and then withdrew the funds at ATMs.  In addition, Farraj fraudulently obtained an Economic Injury Disaster Loan under the name of a fictitious business.  After receiving a deposit of $149,900.00, Farraj transferred the funds to cryptocurrency accounts or used the funds to pay credit card bills. 

As to Masoud, evidence presented to the court showed that Masoud completed withdrawals of funds associated with fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits claims and also received a deposit of $9,321.00 into an account in her name.  The deposit was also associated with a fraudulent claim. 

Farraj was sentenced to ten months, with five months to be served in the Bureau of Prisons and five months to be served on home detention with location monitoring, followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Farraj was ordered to pay $604,074.00 in restitution. 

Masoud was sentenced to 24 months of probation and ordered to pay $454,074.00 in restitution.  United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III imposed the sentences. 

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor, the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the New York State Department of Labor, the Arizona Department of Economic Security, and the Small Business Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hummel is prosecuting the case.

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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Darnikius Trayvon Sutton, 31, of Hartsville, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

Evidence presented to the court showed that in August 2022, the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a Hartsville home from which Sutton had previously sold methamphetamine. Inside the home, law enforcement found approximately 58 grams of methamphetamine, quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine, three firearms, and more than 100 rounds of ammunition. Sutton claimed responsibility for everything in the home.

Chief United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced Sutton to 120 months in prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by Hartsville Police Department, Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuted the case.

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Charleston, South Carolina --- Caleb Hood, 31, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud for his role in a scheme to defraud a chain of home improvement stores.

Evidence presented to the court showed that Hood, while using fake identities, would go into home improvement stores throughout the District of South Carolina and steal merchandise. Once Hood had stolen the merchandise, he would then go to another of the store’s locations and return the merchandise. Hood would claim that he did not have the receipt for the merchandise, so the store would issue him credit in the form of a merchandise card. The funds on the merchandise card issued to Hood were not legitimately his because he never purchased the items he returned. From April 2019, up until the date of Hood’s arrest on March 2, 2022, Hood fraudulently obtained a total of $202,659.00. 

“Caleb Hood used fake identities to steal over $200,000 from a chain of home improvement stores over a period of several years,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “We appreciate the work of the Secret Service and Charleston Police Department in uncovering his scheme and helping to protect our local businesses from financial crimes.”

“The Secret Service and Charleston Police Department are committed to investigating fraudulent activity which is detrimental not just to our local businesses, but to our nation’s economic infrastructure as a whole,” said Ben Stafford, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Charleston Resident Office. “We are thankful for the tireless efforts of our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as they worked to see that justice was served in this case.”

United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Hood to 48 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Hood was also ordered to pay the home improvement chain $202,659.00 in restitution.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and Charleston Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Amy Bower prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – Jeffrey Harmon, of Lexington, pleaded guilty after his jury trial had begun to two counts of filing false tax returns.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Harmon owned and operated TFL Worldwide, a tax preparation business through which he willfully prepared and filed returns for clients that claimed fraudulent deductions relating to, among other things, rent, utilities, meals, gifts, dues, and depreciation.

In his plea, Harmon admitted to filing a false 2012 tax return for himself and to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a 2016 tax return claiming false deductions for rent and depreciation for one of his clients.  Harmon agreed that the total tax loss from his criminal conduct was approximately $320,000.

Harmon faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each false return count.  He also faces a period of court-ordered supervision, monetary penalties, and restitution. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted Harmon’s guilty plea and will determine any sentence after considering a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina, and Special Agent in Charge Donald Trey Eakins of IRS-Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office, made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Elle Klein for the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Wilson Stamm of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA --- Tommy Rene Lee, 53, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that Lee used his personal electronic devices to possess child pornography.  Lee came to the attention of law enforcement when two social networking sites reported evidence of alleged criminal activity on their servers. The IP addresses of the reports were ultimately traced to Lee. Upon Lee’s arrest, law enforcement seized electronic devices and conducted forensics examinations that found 121 images and 17 videos depicting child pornography.

The investigation also revealed that Lee had a prior conviction under North Carolina law involving second-degree exploitation of a minor.

United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Lee to 120 months and 1 day in prison, to be followed by a life term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.  Judge Hendricks also ordered Lee to pay $12,000 in restitution.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy F. Bower is prosecuting the case.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Dexter Lawrence, 37, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in a scheme to extort and defraud military members that was operated out of the South Carolina Department of Correction (SCDC).

Evidence presented to the Court showed that while serving a 22-year sentence in SCDC for Armed Robbery and Carjacking, Lawrence smuggled smartphones into SCDC and used the internet to join internet dating websites.  Once on the internet dating websites, Lawrence would target young men who were in the military while posing as a young woman.  Lawrence would solicit nude photographs and once the photographs were received, Lawrence, and others, then posed as the father of the young woman, claiming that the young woman was underage, and that the military member was in possession of child pornography.  Lawrence and others then threatened to have the military members arrested or dishonorably discharged unless they paid money.

From March 2016 until May 2017, due to this extortion, service members transferred funds to Lawrence, through his co-conspirators, totaling $60,004.09, which investigators traced to at least 25 victims.

United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Lawrence to 70 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  This sentence will be served after Lawrence completes his 22-year state prison sentence.  There is no parole in the federal system.

“Contraband cell phones enable inmates to continue their criminal activity behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “In this case, the defendant used them to prey on victims who have bravely served our nation.  Our office is committing to working with SCDC and our law enforcement partners to address the threats posed by smartphones in our prisons.”

“This sentence confirms DCIS’ pledge to hold criminals who target our service members accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “We are steadfast in our commitment to protecting our Warfighters and will work aggressively with our investigative partners to accomplish this mission.”

"Mr. Lawrence was leader in a criminal network that specifically preyed on military service members through schemes that degrade military readiness and ultimately threaten our national security," said Special Agent in Charge Erin Carmichael of the NCIS Carolinas Field Office. "NCIS thanks the U.S. Attorney's Office and our law enforcement partners for their substantial efforts to keep our service members and their families safe from criminal predators."

"Aggressively investigating organized crime impacting our military servicemembers is a top priority for the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division," said Special Agent-in-Charge Justin Link of the Army Criminal Investigation Division's Cyber Field Office. "Mr. Lawrence's sentence should serve as a deterrent for those seeking to take advantage of our nation's fighting forces. Army CID will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to protect our servicemembers."

“Cellphones are the most dangerous weapons in prisons today because they allow inmates to prey on innocent victims and continue committing crimes,” said Bryan Stirling, Director of the S.C. Department of Corrections. “I urge Congress to support a hearing on the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act, which would allow states to use technology to jam cellphone signals in state prisons.”

This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine Orville and Amy Bower prosecuted the case.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Samer Refaat Selwanes, 48, of Charleston, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a minor.

Selwanes pleaded guilty in September 2022 to sexual exploitation of a minor. According to court documents and hearings, an adult female reported to a victim assistance organization that when she was thirteen she began communicating with another user on Facebook Messenger, and she was coerced by that user to create sexually explicit images of herself. Law enforcement agents were informed and subsequently identified the offender as Selwanes.

Agents thereafter searched Selwanes’s residence and digital devices, and they also conducted a review of the victim’s cell phone. The electronic forensic evidence showed that from June 2013 to August 2016, Selwanes, who falsely purported to be a minor himself, communicated with the victim, who was a minor at that time, on Facebook Messenger and coerced her to create and transmit to him images of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Selwanes to 120 months in prison, to be followed by a life term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean H. Secor prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Leonardo Rubio, 23, of Beaufort, South Carolina, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that beginning in at least 2016 and continuing through June 11, 2021, Leonardo Rubio sought, received, produced, and distributed images, videos, and files containing child pornography using multiple cell phones, data storage devices, the Kik social media messaging application, and Dropbox online cloud storage. Rubio’s crimes were discovered after Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) special agents received a NCMEC CyberTip from Dropbox, which indicated Rubio had uploaded at least 10 images containing child pornography to their cloud service. The special agents then obtained a search warrant for Rubio’s residence located on the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort.

During a forensic examination of devices seized from Rubio, analysts located a total of 26,114 images and 1,505 videos containing child pornography involving prepubescent male and female victims ranging in age from 3 months to 14 years old. During interviews, Rubio informed agents he also had distributed between 150 to 200 images of child pornography to other individuals using the Kik messaging application. Rubio also admitted to sexually assaulting an 8- or 9-year-old relative, as well as photographing himself engaged in sexual contact with his wife’s 7-year-old relative, when he was approximately 16 years old.

United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Rubio to 168 months in prison, to be followed by a life term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. Judge Hendricks further ordered that the defendant pay $69,000 to the 23 victims seeking restitution in this case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allessandra Stewart is prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON – A South Carolina woman pleaded guilty to conspiracy for her role in a nationwide structured cash flow scheme that exploited military veterans in desperate financial straits and targeted elderly investors seeking a safe retirement investment.

Candy Kern, 55, of Anderson, South Carolina, was the managing partner of a small South Carolina-based law firm. From approximately 2012 through 2021, she used her law firm to facilitate a fraudulent scheme involving illegal assignment of veterans’ benefits.

The scheme worked as follows: Numerous individuals and small corporate entities, referred to as Structured Cash Flow (SCF) entities, offered veterans – many of whom were in acute financial distress – an up-front lump sum payment in exchange for the assignment of the veterans’ monthly pension and/or disability payments for a period of time. Working through a network of investment advisors and insurance agents, the SCF entities would then solicit retirees to invest in these contracts – providing the up-front lump sums under the false pretense that the flow of repayments by veterans over time would translate into a return for the retiree-investors.

For more than eight years, Kern, through her law firm, served as the banker, legal counsel, and debt collector for the SCF operation. Among other services, Kern’s law firm (1) managed, controlled, and maintained the bank accounts through which payments to and from investors and veterans flowed; and (2) filed suits against veterans who defaulted. Throughout the duration of the scheme, and unbeknownst to the veterans or the retirees, the pension assignment contracts were in fact void, as it is illegal to assign a pension under federal law – a fact Kern knew but never disclosed during the execution of any contract.

Over time, the scheme collapsed, as many veterans (who tended to be in dire financial straits) either were unable to repay their “obligations” under the contract or opted not to do so upon learning that federal law prohibited pension assignments. Over the course of this scheme, approximately $14 million in illegally assigned veterans’ benefits flowed through the accounts controlled by Kern’s law firm. Notwithstanding the invalidity of the contracts, Kern pursued enforcement actions against veterans who defaulted, securing numerous default judgments against veterans in absentia. As a result, Kern’s law firm received approximately $1,446,336, while retiree-investors – who were misled and fraudulently induced to purchase the SCF product without being informed of all material information about the contracts – lost approximately $31,352,897.26.

“This elaborate scheme preyed upon and exploited some of our most vulnerable populations, and when it collapsed, it left thousands of veterans in financial ruin and scores of retiree-investors without adequate resources to retire,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department is committed to protecting servicemembers, veterans, and older adults from fraud. And we are dedicated to ensuring that those involved in this scheme are held accountable.”

“The District of South Carolina has been at the forefront of prosecuting fraud related to veterans’ pensions and associated investment scams,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “It is reprehensible that a former member of the South Carolina state bar would participate in such a scheme and use her standing as a lawyer to give victims a false confidence. My office will continue its efforts to protect our veterans and to bring perpetrators to justice.”

“This guilty plea is a true testament to the FBI’s steadfast mission to uphold justice and protect the most vulnerable members of our society from financial exploitation and fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge Steve Jensen of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “The FBI recognizes the sacrifice and dedication of our veterans and values the contributions of our seniors to our communities. The guilty plea represents our commitment to holding accountable those who seek to take advantage of our nation’s heroes and seniors.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney William Watkins for the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorneys Ehren Reynolds and Yolanda McCray Jones of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.

The matter was investigated by the FBI. The Veterans Benefits Administration’s Benefits Protection and Remediation Division and the Defense Finance Accounting Service also assisted. Resources from the Department of Justice’s Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative and the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force aided in the investigation and prosecution.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at https://www.ovc.gov. For more information on the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative, or to file a complaint, visit https://www.justice.gov/servicemembers.   

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA–  The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced the date of its 24th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. On Saturday, April 22, DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs.

For more than a decade, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications—those that are old, unwanted, or expired—that too often become a gateway to addiction.

Take Back Day offers free and anonymous disposal of unneeded medications at more than 4,000 local drop-off locations nationwide.

• What: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

• When: Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time

• Who: DEA & Local Law Enforcement

• Where: Collection Site Search

In partnership with local law enforcement, Take Back Day has removed more than 8,300 tons of medication from circulation since its inception.

Collection sites will not accept syringes, sharps, and illicit drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The cap must be tightly sealed to prevent leakage.

For more information and to find a collection site near you, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Maggie-Anne Boler, 61, of Sumter, was sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison in relation to a scheme to submit false tax returns and a fraudulent Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) loan to the United States. The schemes defrauded the United States out of roughly $180,000.

According to evidence presented during Boler’s trial and sentencing, Boler promised friends and family that she knew a secret way to get them large refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Boler used her bogus system to prepare tax returns for herself, her disabled brother, and others. Boler would claim huge unsubstantiated withholdings on the returns, generating tax refunds of as much as $44,000. Some of Boler’s family members were unemployed and had no actual withholdings during the year. Once the fraudulent returns were discovered by the IRS, Boler’s friends and family were forced to repay the refunds and were burdened with additional penalties and fees. Many of the relatives testified during the trial that Boler took a fee for preparing the returns and promised them that her methods were lawful and that she knew obscure rules that would get them large refunds.

In addition to the tax fraud, Boler received a $20,000 PPP loan based on her fraudulent claims. Evidence produced during the trial showed that Boler took these PPP funds while also receiving thousands of dollars in South Carolina unemployment benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Maggie-Anne Boler made false promises, defrauded American taxpayers, and stole from businesses in desperate need of support during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs.   “Our office is committed to vigorously prosecuting financial fraud in all its forms, and we encourage the public to ensure they are only working with reputable tax professionals this tax season.”

“The defendant in this case thought she had figured out a clever scheme to thwart the IRS and steal from American taxpayers,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. “This sentencing is an important victory for America's taxpayers who play by the rules and have no tolerance for those who make up their own rules.”

“Financial fraud undermines the integrity of the U.S. tax system and erodes consumer confidence,” said FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge, Steve Jensen. “This sentence should serve as a warning to others that such criminal activity will not be tolerated. The FBI, along with our federal partners, will continue to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.”

Senior United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten sentenced Boler to 30 months in prison. She was also ordered to repay $53,696.00 in restitution to the United States Small Business Administration and the IRS.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cate Cardinale and T. DeWayne Pearson.

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Columbia, SOUTH CAROLINA — David Lee Angell, 51, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to knowingly and willfully entering into an airport area in violation of security requirements.

Evidence obtained in the investigation showed that Angell was stopped at a TSA screening before attempting to board a plane the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. While at TSA screening, his carry-on baggage alerted on prohibited items. A search of his carry-on revealed that he was carrying three smoke grenades, one set of plastic stun knuckles, three stun batons, two knives, and two cans of capsaicin spray in his carry-on bag. All of these items are prohibited from being in a passenger’s carry-on baggage.

Angell has prior convictions for carrying a concealed weapon in vehicle, possession of a dangerous weapon, burglary, and resisting a public officer.

As a result of the federal conviction, United States Magistrate Judge Paige J. Gossett sentenced Angell to the maximum term imprisonment of one year, to be followed by a one-year term of court-ordered supervision.

The case was investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Assistant United States Attorney Elle E. Klein prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, SOUTH CAROLINA — Paul Burton, 27, of Columbia, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on February 15, 2022, around 12:30am, Burton posted a livestream video on social media at a Columbia gas station. In the video, Burton bragged about successfully robbing a rival gang member of a gold chain, which he displayed. Additional portions of the livestream show Burton going into the gas station and threatening the rival gang member a second time by displaying the firearm and spitting in his direction in the presence of the store clerk.

Later that same day, the City of Columbia Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a car driven by Burton. Because the car smelled of marijuana, police officers conducted a search and found a loaded pistol. On February 16, 2022, members of the Midlands Gang Task Force interviewed Burton, and he admitted the same pistol in his car was the one he used during the robbery at the gas station.

Federal law prohibits Burton from possessing a firearm or ammunition based on prior convictions for Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature, Possession of a Weapon During the Commission of a Violent Crime, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Burton to 51 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the City of Columbia Police Department, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — L&T Technology Services, LTD (“LTTS”), a company based in India, with U.S. offices in Edison New Jersey, has agreed to pay $9,928,000 to resolve allegations that between 2014 and 2019, LTTS underpaid visa fees owed to the United States by acquiring inexpensive B-1 visas, rather than more expensive H-1B visas, in alleged violation of the False Claims Act.

LTTS provides services and personnel to companies in the United States. Most of the personnel are foreign nationals, who are required to have visas in order to lawfully enter or remain in the United States.  

B-1 visas generally do not permit visa holders to perform paid labor while in the United States. During the time period in question, fees for B-1 visas were between approximately $200 to $300, and there was no limit on the number of B-1 visas that could be issued.

Although H-1B visas permit foreign nationals to perform paid labor while in this country, the visa fees for such work visas were between approximately $4,000 to $6,000. Additionally, such visas are more difficult to obtain, because they are limited by an annual cap of 65,000, to foreign nationals with the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in an occupation requiring highly specialized knowledge; plus an additional 20,000 H-1B visas annually to those in such occupations with a master’s degree or its equivalent.

The investigation leading to this settlement was initiated through the filing of a whistleblower (qui tam) complaint in the United States District Court in Charleston, South Carolina, captioned United States ex rel. Michael Harmon v. L&T Technology Services, et. al., Civ. No. 2:16-cv-01114-BHH (D.S.C.). By law, Mr. Harmon will receive a percentage of the recovery.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will hold accountable those who skirt this country’s visa requirements,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina Adair F. Boroughs. “Our immigration laws are intended to protect American jobs for American workers, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure companies securing work visas for foreign nationals strictly comply with those laws.”

“This settlement sends a clear message to those who seek to defraud the U.S. government and exploit our nation’s laws, that you will be found and held accountable,” said Ronnie Martinez, Special Agent In Charge of HSI Charlotte, covering North and South Carolina. “Protecting the integrity of the nation’s immigration and labor laws from those looking to exploit them is of vital importance and HSI prioritizes this mission.”

“This settlement is a success in deterring companies in seeking to evade and violate the laws and regulations governing the non-immigrant visa programs managed by the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security,” said Chris Hileman, Special Agent in Charge, Department of State, Office of Inspector General. “It has been and always will be our pleasure to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to protect our immigration laws, the U.S. workers and our economy and hold those accountable who exploit them.”

“When companies apply for work visas, they must follow the rules and pay appropriate fees, just like workers.  We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue those who circumvent worker visa programs,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent in Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.”

“We are pleased at the outcome of this case,” said Karen L. Brown Cleveland, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). “The Diplomatic Security Service values our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies around the world to prevent and jointly combat U.S. passport and visa fraud. Deterring, detecting, and investigating U.S. passport and visa fraud is essential to safeguarding our national security.”

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the USCIS Nebraska Service Center Fraud Detection Unit, the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.

The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Stan Ragsdale, Beth Warren, and Brook Andrews of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. LTTS has denied liability, is cooperating with the United States in this matter, and has taken significant steps to ensure compliance with U.S. visa laws.

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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Eleven men and two women from across the Pee Dee were sentenced to multi-year terms in federal prison after pleading guilty to their roles in a methamphetamine conspiracy out of the Chesterfield and Darlington County areas.

• Clifford Ray Gardner, 67, of McBee, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition;
• Zachary Miles Gardner, 29, of Hartsville, was sentenced to 57 months in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting distribution of methamphetamine;
• Marion Wendell Brown, Jr., 37, of Hartsville, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking;
• Harvey Lee Dixon, 37, of Hartsville, was sentenced to 74 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
• Jeffrey Scott Lloyd, 32, of Hartsville, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
• Craig Leon Warr, 50, of Hartsville, was sentenced to 5 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
• Ricky Jerry Wallace, 30, 0f Patrick, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
• Charles Barney Lloyd, 50, of Hartsville, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
• Justin Lee Kelly, 40, of Hartsville, was sentenced to 80 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
• Jonathan Nowell Dixon, 41, of Hartsville, was sentenced to 66 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
• Ashley Jordan Griffits, 33, of Hartsville, was sentenced to 92 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine;
• Thomas George Hall, II, 42, of Hartsville, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; and
• Lacey Elizabeth Watford, 22, of Hartsville, was sentenced to 5 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Wallace and Warr’s terms of imprisonment will be followed by a ten-year term of court-ordered supervision.  The remaining defendants will have a five-year term of court-ordered supervision to follow imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.

“Our office is dedicated to protecting the people of South Carolina from the dangers of drug trafficking and related gun crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs.  “I want to thank our law enforcement partners who worked together to dismantle this methamphetamine trafficking ring and hold accountable those who were pedaling this dangerous drug into our neighborhoods.”

“The same individuals responsible for bringing deadly narcotics into our communities are often responsible for much of the violent gun crime we face,” said Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Charlotte Field Division.  “Bringing these individuals to justice and dismantling drug trafficking networks has a major impact on stopping gun violence and making communities safer.” 

“We are thankful for the diligent work and collaboration of the many departments that brought an end to the organization that was bringing these dangerous drugs into our community,” said Public Information Officer for the City of Hartsville Michelle Byers Brown.  “The City of Hartsville continues to stay vigilant and dedicated to working with all agencies to assure that individuals who desire to harm our city and surrounding communities are brought to justice.” 

Evidence presented to the Court showed that Clifford Ray Gardner was the head of a multi-year methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy based out of Chesterfield and Darlington Counties.  During the course of that conspiracy, Gardner was accountable for trafficking more than 9 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Evidence showed Harvey Lee Dixon, Jeffrey Scott Lloyd, Craig Leon Warr, Ricky Jerry Wallace, Charles Barney Lloyd, Justin Lee Kelly, Jonathan Nowell Dixon, Ashley Jordan Griffits, Thomas George Hall, II, and Lacey Elizabeth Watford were distributors within the conspiracy.  Each was accountable for trafficking half a kilogram or more of methamphetamine during the course of the conspiracy.

In May 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Marion Wendell Brown Jr.’s residence in Hartsville, from which he sold drugs.  Officers found two rifles and a 12-gauge shotgun, approximately $1,000 in cash, 16 grams of methamphetamine, and a quantity of heroin.  A subsequent search of the same location revealed additional drugs and a stolen law enforcement firearm. 

In May 2021, law enforcement conducted a controlled buy of approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine from Clifford Ray Gardner at a residence in McBee.  Zachary Miles Gardner was the middleman on the deal.

In June 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the same McBee residence where the controlled buy occurred.  Officers found three firearms.  Federal law prohibits Clifford Ray Gardner from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction.

Chief United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced all thirteen individuals.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case was investigated by Hartsville Police Department, Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Darius Antonio Pugh, 36, of West Columbia, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a quantity of cocaine base (commonly known as crack cocaine), and a quantity of cocaine.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on the evening of August 14, 2020, a Charleston County deputy conducted a traffic stop of a speeding car. Pugh, the driver, was in the car with a friend. As the deputy was speaking with Pugh, he saw loose “shake” (marijuana) inside the car, which gave the deputy probable cause to search the car. Deputies recovered a small baggie of cocaine and a loaded handgun. Pugh, who was out on a state bond from Lexington County for a shooting, was arrested on new state charges and thereafter made another state bond.

While out on state bond, Pugh, a gang member, was involved in a high speed chase with Richland County deputies. Evidence presented to the court showed that on the evening of April 9, 2022, Richland County deputies responded to a home invasion in progress in northeast Columbia. Enroute, deputies received information that the suspect fled in an older model Expedition. While responding to the call, a deputy encountered an older model Expedition fitting the general description in the area. The deputy attempted to make a traffic stop of the Expedition for having improper vehicle tags.

As the deputy turned on his blue lights and siren, the Expedition fled onto 1-77 with speeds in excess of 100mph. The chase continued onto 277 South and came to a stop within the Colony apartment complex, after the Expedition struck a parked car as it attempted to make a turn at a high rate of speed. Pugh, the driver and sole occupant of the Expedition, exited the SUV and was stopped by the deputy after a short foot chase. Inside a bag that Pugh had, deputies found a loaded handgun with an extended magazine and clear bags of methamphetamine, cocaine, and crack cocaine. A search of Pugh’s Expedition revealed another loaded handgun, along with a jar of marijuana and a digital scale. Both handguns were determined to have been previously stolen in Charlotte. It was determined that Pugh was not the suspect involved in the home invasion and that his Expedition was not the Expedition the home invasion victim said left the scene.

Federal law prohibits Pugh from possessing firearms and ammunition based on prior state convictions that include possession of cocaine, possession of other controlled substance, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature (two separate convictions), possession of stolen motor vehicle, distribution of heroin, distribution of fentanyl, failure to stop for blue light and siren, and discharging firearms into a dwelling. 

Pugh faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 on the firearm charges and a mandatory minimum of 10 years with a maximum of life and a fine of $8,000,000 on the drug charge. After service of the term of imprisonment, Pugh will also face a term of supervised release of at least 8 years.  United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence him after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mt. Pleasant Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes is prosecuting the case.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — A South Carolina man has been arrested on felony charges, including assaulting a law enforcement officer, for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Thomas Andrew Casselman, 29, of Walhalla, South Carolina, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm on Capitol grounds or buildings, all felonies, act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings, and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a Capitol building. He was arrested this morning in Walhalla and made his initial appearance in the District of South Carolina before Magistrate Judge Kevin McDonald.

According to court documents, Casselman is seen in images from Jan. 6, 2021, published widely, wearing a dark grey cap with design on the front, black face mask, American flag gaiter or scarf around the neck, black jacket, and backpack while in the crowd on the west side of the Capitol Building. Body Worn Camera (BWC) footage from D.C. Metropolitan Police officers as well as open-source video footage show Casselman spraying law enforcement officers with an orange colored spray, presumed to be a chemical irritant, specifically, bear spray. A victim of the use of this chemical irritant also described the spray as bear spray.

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Columbia, South Carolina Field Office and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Casselman as #363 on its seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 26 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. 

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Raphiel Coleman, 37, of Columbia, has pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed Richland County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to a convenience store on Broad River Road concerning a man with a gun.  When the deputies arrived, they saw Coleman wearing the same clothing as the man described by the 911 caller.  They ordered him to the ground, but Coleman fled behind the store.  One deputy gave chase on foot and the other deputy followed in the police car.  Eventually, they caught Coleman, and they found one .357 caliber bullet in his pocket.  With the help of a police dog, they retraced their steps and found a handgun on the ground in a bush nearby.  The police also found approximately 2 grams of marijuana in Coleman’s pocket.

Federal law prohibits Coleman from possessing a firearm because of his prior convictions for burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle, failure to stop for a blue light, intimidation of a juror or witness, possession of less than 1 gram of methamphetamine, and pointing and presenting a weapon.

Coleman faces a maximum penalty of 10 years federal prison.  He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution and 5 years, of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.   United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Coleman after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina collected $50,690,774.37 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2022. Of this amount, $11,935,768.98 was collected in criminal actions and $38,755,005.39 was collected in civil actions.  The District of South Carolina also worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect $10,438,936.69 in criminal and civil cases pursued jointly by these offices.

“Making crime victims whole, forfeiting property used to commit crimes, and recovering money bilked from our taxpayers are critical components of our justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs.  “Our Criminal Division, Civil Division, Asset Forfeiture Unit, and Financial Litigation Unit work day in and day out to claw back ill-gotten gains and ensure victims are compensated, and we will continue to dedicate resources to holding wrongdoers financially accountable.”

In August 2022, Philips RS North America, LLC, formerly known as Respironics, Inc., agreed to pay a total of $24,750,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it provided kickbacks to durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers to induce them to choose Respironics’ respiratory equipment for federal healthcare program beneficiaries.  Of the $24,750,000 settlement, state Medicaid programs received $2.13 million.  A relator (also known as a whistleblower) disclosed the alleged fraud by filing a qui tam action and received approximately $4.3 million of the federal settlement amount.  Additionally, Respironics entered into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with HHS-OIG.

The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Daniel A. Spiro of the Fraud Section of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Beth Warren and Johanna Valenzuela of the District of South Carolina.  The lawsuit resolved by this settlement is captioned United States, et al., ex rel. Respiratory Care., LLC v. Respironics, Inc., et al., Case No. 2:19-cv-02913-BHH (D.S.C).  The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. 

Additionally, in United States v. Lavoie et al, Case No. 4:21-cr-00585-RBH (D.S.C.), the U.S. Attorney’s Office recovered $586,805 in restitution owed to the IRS for tax violations.  Daniel A. Lavoie and Enrique R. Reyes pleaded guilty to charges related to employment tax fraud and hiring unauthorized aliens.  They operated or assisted in the operation of a construction company that used unlicensed check cashers to facilitate under-the-table cash payments to employees, many of whom were unauthorized aliens.  The off-the-books payments defrauded the United States out of applicable employment taxes on the employees.  Lavoie and Reyes were each ordered to pay $293,402.50 in restitution for tax violations, all of which has been recovered.  The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Fisher Sherard and Anne Hunter Young of the District of South Carolina. 

The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims.  The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss.  While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina, working with partner agencies and divisions, also collected $6,130,476 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2022.  Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Shondel Antwan Crim, 47, of Columbia, has pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on December 15, 2021, Richland County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the home of a victim.  The victim stated that she and Crim had stopped dating.  She saw him at a gas station, they talked, and he tried to rekindle their relationship.  She declined and left the gas station.  Crim followed her and fired into her car at least 2 times, striking her car.  An arrest warrant was issued for Crim. 

A week later, the police saw Crim at a gas station and arrested him.  They found a loaded Glock pistol in a holster inside his waistband.  A search warrant was issued for his house, where they found additional ammunition along with a small amount of crack cocaine.

Crim was taken to police headquarters and given his Miranda warnings. He admitted that the gun found on him was the gun he had during the shooting into the victim’s car.  

Federal law prohibits Crim from possessing a firearm based upon prior convictions for possession of crack, possession of a stolen car, possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute in proximity of school, possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine, and burglary. 

Crim faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and 6 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Crim after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Arma Victor Strong, III, 33, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana.   

Evidence presented to the court showed that on July 8, 2021, a Richland County Sheriff’s Department investigator on surveillance in an unmarked car in a parking lot of a motel on Nates Road saw a person walk over to an occupied car and then saw a drug deal take place. As the person walked away from the car, the deputy saw and took a photo of what appeared to be narcotics in the person’s hand. As the car left the area, the deputy radio’ed a marked patrol unit, which conducted a traffic stop of the car on Two Notch Road after seeing traffic violations. Due to the strong smell of marijuana coming from the car, the car was searched, and a shoebox containing marijuana and pills containing methamphetamine and cocaine was found in the backseat. Strong, the driver, admitted to possessing the drugs and having distributed some earlier. 

Federal law prohibits Strong from possessing firearms and ammunition based on his prior felony state convictions, which include auto breaking, possession of cocaine, domestic violence 2nd degree, assault & battery 2nd degree, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Strong faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine of $2,000,000 on the drug charge. After service of the term of imprisonment, Strong will also face a term of supervision of at least 6 years.  United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Strong after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes is prosecuting the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Ernest Weldon, 37, of Columbia, was sentenced to 110 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a felony.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that on June 21, 2021, an officer with the City of Columbia Police Department (CPD) attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a car driven by Ernest Weldon. Instead of stopping for the officer, Weldon opened the door to the car and ran without putting the car in park, causing it to roll until it stopped in nearby grass. During his flight, Weldon dropped a firearm, which law enforcement recovered. CPD officers detained Weldon after a brief chase and took him into custody. Before this incident, Weldon had convictions for attempted armed robbery, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, and multiple convictions for assault and criminal domestic violence.

United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Weldon to 110 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Dockim Deeshawn McKnight, 34, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to 5 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty in federal court to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.

McKnight was one of 10 defendants charged in April 2014, following a series of court-authorized, DEA-monitored wiretaps over several telephones in the Columbia area. Six of the 10 defendants were arrested in April 2014, while 4 remained fugitives, including McKnight. Two fugitives were arrested in 2017 in Texas. McKnight remained a fugitive until his May 2022 arrest by the United States Marshals Service in Brooklyn, New York. The remaining fugitive was arrested in September 2022 in Concord, North Carolina, is currently awaiting trial, and is innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The 2013 investigation revealed that a group of individuals in the Columbia area were obtaining heroin from various sources outside of South Carolina and then distributing it in the Midlands. Evidence indicated that the suppliers were initially getting the heroin in packages from India. Several packages destined for Columbia and containing heroin were intercepted by law enforcement during the investigation. Evidence further showed that the co-defendants later traveled to New York to obtain heroin and transported it back to Columbia, where it was distributed. In June 2013, New York authorities seized 155 grams of heroin from McKnight and his girlfriend/co-defendant Jessany Lyons while they were preparing to board a bus back to South Carolina.

Eight of McKnight’s co-defendants earlier pleaded guilty to their role in the drug conspiracy here in South Carolina and were sentenced as follows:

• Eric Shawn Bradley of Columbia was sentenced to 210 months in prison with 8 years of court-ordered supervision;
• Michael Glover of Columbia was sentenced to 324 months in prison with 8 years of court-ordered supervision;
• Jihad Salahadeen Pollard of Columbia was sentenced to 121 months in prison with 4 years of court-ordered supervision;
• Kenneth Crawford, Jr. of Washington, D.C., and formerly of Columbia was sentenced to 120 months in prison with 8 years of court-ordered supervision; 
• Charles Raheem Bradley of Columbia was sentenced to 57 months in prison with 6 years of court-ordered supervision;
• Anthony Troy Glover of Columbia was sentenced to 120 months in prison with 8 years of court-ordered supervision;
• Larry Grover Bookman of Columbia was sentenced to 70 months in prison with 6 years of court-ordered supervision; and
• Jessany Lyons of Far Rockaway, New York, was sentenced to 37 months in prison with 3 years of court-ordered supervision.

The New York heroin suppliers were charged and convicted by the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York for their role in the drug conspiracy.

Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced McKnight to 60 months in prison, to be followed by a 4-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) High Intensity Drug Task Force, which was comprised of agents and officers from the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Secret Service (USSS), Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. The United States Marshals Service and the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force-Charlotte Office assisted in locating the 4 fugitives. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes is prosecuting the case.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA —Terry Tyrone Pollard, 27, of Cedartown, Georgia, was convicted following a jury trial in federal court for conspiracy to commit bank larceny and bank larceny. The convictions arose from a January 2021 incident during which Pollard and his four codefendants staged an armed robbery of a Garda armored cash transport truck carrying $1.9 million in North Charleston, South Carolina. Pollard’s codefendants—Quantavius Murphy, 22, Anthony Burge, 24, and Thomas Calhoun, 21, all of Cedartown, Georgia, and James Sewell, 27, of North Charleston—all previously pleaded guilty to the charges.

Evidence presented by the Government at trial established that in early January 2021, Sewell, a Garda armored truck driver, recruited Pollard and the other codefendants to stage his robbery. After formulating the plan over Snapchat, Pollard, Murphy, Burge, and Calhoun traveled from Cedartown to Sewell’s apartment in North Charleston on January 15, 2021. Later that day, they drove around North Charleston looking for the best location to stage the theft. On January 16, 2021, Sewell parked his truck full of money outside an ATM in North Charleston. Pollard and the other codefendants approached Sewell and pretended to restrain him at gunpoint. They then loaded $1.9 million in cash into black trash bags and immediately fled back to Cedartown.

Investigators were able to determine the codefendants’ cell phone numbers and obtain cell site location data from service providers. The cell site location data confirmed the codefendants’ path of travel from Cedartown in the early morning hours of January 15, their location in the vicinity of Sewell’s apartment the day before the theft, and their joint path of travel back to Cedartown following the theft on January 16. Evidence presented to the jury revealed that several hours after the bank larceny, Calhoun posted a Snapchat video of Pollard holding a large stack of stolen cash in front of his face.

The jury deliberated for eight minutes before returning a guilty verdict against Pollard on both counts of the indictment.

“Prosecuting violent crime is one of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s top priority,” said United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “We appreciate the work of the FBI, North Charleston Police Department, and Cedartown Police Department in this case and their commitment to holding these defendants accountable.”

“The FBI is committed to thoroughly investigating violent crime, to include armored car robberies, and pursuing all who perpetrate those offenses,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office, Paul “Reid” Davis. “This conviction sends a strong message that our office, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will not waver in the pursuit of justice.”

Representatives from the North Charleston Police Department stated that they are pleased that a jury held Pollard responsible for traveling from out of state to commit a serious crime in North Charleston and are thankful for the assistance from and collaboration with the USAO and the FBI.

United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks presided over the trial and will sentence Pollard and his codefendants after receiving and reviewing pre-sentence reports prepared by the United States Probation Office.  Pollard faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, and a fine of $500,000 in addition to restitution for money stolen during the incident.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the North Charleston Police Department, and the Cedartown Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Lietzow, Emily Limehouse, and Allessandra Stewart prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Eric Grier, 55, of Columbia, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a felony.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that on the night of October 10, 2020, the Columbia Police Department (CPD) received a ShotSpotter alert from the Celia Saxon neighborhood. As CPD officers responded to the scene, Grier was fleeing in a white car. Officers tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Grier refused to stop and tried to elude law enforcement officers until he lost control of his car and stopped on a curb. Officers removed Grier from the car and found a discarded handgun near the passenger door. The slide of the gun was locked back, indicating the gun had been fired until the magazine was empty.

While Grier was in custody, officers found 10 spent shell casings near the area where they first saw Grier’s vehicle.  The shell casings were linked to the gun found near Grier’s car via a NIBIN lead. Officers also executed a search warrant to test Grier’s hands for gunshot residue. Analysts with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) confirmed the spent shell casings recovered by CPD were fired from the gun found near Grier’s car, and Grier had gunshot residue on his hands. Before this incident, Grier had multiple convictions for criminal domestic violence.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Eric Grier to 46 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.

The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Michael Sturms, 78, of Bluffton, was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after pleading guilty to tax evasion.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that Sturms failed to timely file individual income tax returns with the IRS for tax years 2007 through 2012, and he only filed these delinquent returns in 2014 as part of divorce proceedings from his then-wife. Sturms signed each of these late filed returns, admitting to a significant tax deficiency.

In 2015, the IRS filed a number of federal tax liens in South Carolina and Florida against Sturms and his business entities for taxes owed. On March 9, 2015, the IRS sent Sturms a Final Notice of Intent to Levy in the amount of $2,368,409.94, which included the total taxes, penalties, and interest then due and owing.

Knowing that he had taxes due and owing, Sturms attempted to evade and defeat the payment of income tax by engaging in a series of financial transactions that were designed to hide funds that Sturms received from a large breach-of-contract settlement. These efforts to evade the payment of taxes included Sturms’ creation of a new business checking account in the name of Worldwide Financials, LLC, to deposit $1,181,321.64 of settlement money, a failed attempt to withdraw $1 million in cash from this newly created account, and the transfer of $550,000 of these settlement proceeds to his new wife, which then was used to purchase a residence lien-free in his new wife’s name.

As part of his sentence, United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel ordered defendant to pay $3,097,582 in restitution, which represents the accrued unpaid taxes, interest, and fees owed to the United States.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Allessandra Stewart is prosecuting the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Curley Brooks, Jr., 47, of Lexington, was sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that the police were conducting a parcel inspection at the FedEx Express Hub in West Columbia when a K-9 gave a positive alert to a package.  As a result of the positive alert, the police opened the package and found it contained approximately two pounds of cocaine.  The Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) made a controlled delivery of the parcel.  The police maintained surveillance on the package after it was delivered.  A truck pulled into the driveway of the residence, and the driver, who was later identified as Curley Brooks, Jr., exited the driver side door, walked to the front door, and took the package.  Brooks then carried the package back to his vehicle, where he got in with it.

Brooks then backed out of the driveway and attempted to leave.  Agents attempted to stop Brooks as he was leaving the residence.  Brooks attempted to evade law enforcement by driving into the yard and, when doing so, struck a SLED vehicle.  Other agents attempted to block Brooks’ truck from leaving the yard to prevent a pursuit, but Brooks made a sharp turn and almost struck a second police vehicle.  When Brooks turned to avoid hitting the police vehicle, he rear-ended a civilian car sitting at a stop sign.  Brooks then placed the truck in reverse to try to back up and struck another police vehicle.  As Brooks drove off, other agents were pulling up in the intersection, and Brooks drove head-on and struck their vehicle before being stopped.  Brooks was then taken into custody.  The parcel was recovered sitting on the passenger floorboard of the truck.  During the entire incident, Brooks’ two-year-old child was unsecured in the backseat of the vehicle.

Senior United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten sentenced Brooks to 160 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team.  Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Ernest Durane Mack, a/k/a “Marcus Mack,” 35, of Cayce, was sentenced to 77 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on July 26, 2019, a trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol initiated a lawful traffic stop on St. Andrews Road in Columbia on a car Mack was driving after recognizing it to be a car that had fled after he attempted to stop it a week earlier. After a short chase, Mack pulled into a nearby apartment complex, where he stopped the car and fled on foot. Officers located Mack in a nearby apartment complex breezeway and saw him with a handgun, which he then threw towards an officer. Mack told officers that he fled from troopers because he had the handgun in the car. The investigation revealed that the handgun had previously been reported stolen in Spartanburg County.

Mack, who was on state probation at the time of the offense, has prior state convictions for trafficking cocaine (2 separate convictions), forgery, possession of a controlled substance, failure to stop for blue light and siren, and criminal domestic violence 1st degree (2 separate convictions). Mack is currently serving a 7-year sentence for criminal domestic violence 1st degree.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Mack to 77 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the South Carolina Highway Patrol is part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes prosecuted the case.

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA —  Antonio Brown-Sanders, 26, of Charleston, pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding the Small Business Association (SBA) to receive an Emergency Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that Brown-Sanders applied to the SBA to receive an EIDL loan that fraudulently represented he owned a lawn care business.  The application submitted by Brown-Sanders also falsely represented the number of employees and gross revenues for the fraudulent lawn care business. The total amount lent to Brown-Sanders by the SBA was $81,600.

Brown-Sanders is subject to a maximum sentence of twenty years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.00.  United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Brown-Sanders after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General.  Assistant United States Attorney Amy F. Bower prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - Adair Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, joined more than two dozen other U.S. Attorneys from across the country as a delegation to commemorate the 58th Anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” the March over Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge, and the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Boroughs has served as a member of the Attorney General Advisory Committee’s (AGAC) Civil Rights Subcommittee since taking office in July 2022.

“It was an honor to join colleagues from across the United States on this trip to Montgomery and Selma, home to some of the most important moments in the Civil Rights Movement,” said U.S. Attorney Boroughs. “The Department of Justice was founded after the Civil War to ensure protection of civil rights, and the protection of civil rights remains one of the most basic and important parts of our mission. This mission is even more critical in states like South Carolina, where we lack a state hate crimes statute. My office is committed to using every power we have to protect civil rights across South Carolina.”

From March 4-7, 2023, U.S. Attorneys from across the country met with community and civil rights leaders while exploring some of the significant and educational civil rights institutions in Alabama. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, Nick Brown, hosted the delegation’s visit.

In addition to the March 5th Selma March, the U.S. Attorneys met with Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, as part of the subcommittee work supporting the AGAC.

Other meetings and visits during the trip focused on both historic civil rights conflicts and issues that are still alive today.

• The group met with distinguished jurist Myron Thompson, the first Black Assistant Attorney General for Alabama and the second Black Federal Judge in the state. As the former Chief Judge in the Middle District of Alabama, Judge Thompson was instrumental in preserving the Montgomery bus station where the Freedom Riders were attacked in 1961 and the establishment of the Freedom Rides Museum. Judge Thompson is a recipient of the Thurgood Marshall award for his “personal contributions and extraordinary commitment to the advancement of civil rights.”
• The group also met with Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit organization that provides legal representation to people who have been wrongly convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons.
• The attorneys also visited The Johnson Institute in the Montgomery federal courthouse where many key civil rights cases were decided. The Johnson Institute demonstrates through its programming the importance of the U.S. Constitution and the independent judiciary.
• The U.S. Attorneys visited The Legacy Museum, which provides a comprehensive history on the legacy of slavery. Lynching, codified racial segregation, and the emergence of over-incarceration in the 20th century are examined in depth and brought to life through film, images, and first-person narratives at the museum. 
• At the Memorial for Peace and Justice, the group had an opportunity to reflect on America’s History of racial injustice. Set on a six-acre site, the memorial uses sculpture, art, and design to contextualize racial terror. The site includes a memorial square with 800 six-foot monuments to symbolize thousands of racial terror lynching victims in the United States.

The U.S. Attorneys from the following districts attended the Selma and Montgomery events: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, South Carolina, Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, South Dakota, Kansas, Western and Middle Districts of Louisiana,  Eastern District of Wisconsin, Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, Middle District of Florida, Northern and Eastern Districts of California, Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, Western District of Virginia, Western District of North Carolina, Southern District of Ohio, Western District of New York, and Southern District of West Virginia.

The Attorney General’s Advisory Committee was established nearly 50 years ago by Attorney General Elliott Richardson. The Committee’s purpose is to give United States Attorneys a voice in Department policies and to advise the Attorney General of the United States.

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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — The sentencing of Dominique Brand, 31, of Marion, for kidnapping resulting in death, carjacking resulting in death, and using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in a manner constituting murder—which was scheduled for Wednesday, March 8, at 10:00 am—has been postponed.  A new date for sentencing will be set after the Supreme Court issues an opinion in Lora v. United States.