District of South Carolina

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Dakota F. Brown, 36, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and to possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and amphetamine.  

Evidence presented to the court showed that on January 4, 2021, a Richland County Sheriff’s Department deputy stopped Brown’s vehicle. Brown exited the vehicle and removed a fanny pack from across his chest, laying it in the driver’s seat before walking back to talk to the deputy. The deputies smelled marijuana and searched the vehicle. The search revealed a loaded 9mm firearm, heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and amphetamine within the fanny pack. Brown admitted that the items were his and that he had bought the gun off the street in December. 

A ballistics analysis through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) linked the firearm to shell casings recovered from December 2020 shooting in Richland County. Local authorities have arrested another individual for that shooting and have no evidence linking Brown to the incident. 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.

Brown, who has been in custody since his January 2021 arrest, is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior felony state convictions, which include strong arm robbery, possession of crack cocaine, criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.  Additionally, at the time of this incident, Brown was on federal supervised release after serving a 108 months sentence from a 2011 federal felon in possession of a firearm conviction. As a result of the January 4, 2021, arrest, Brown’s term of federal supervised release was revoked and he was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, which is separate from the sentence he will receive as a result of his guilty plea to these current charges.

Brown faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 on the firearm/ammunition charge and a maximum penalty of 30 years imprisonment and a fine of $2,000,000 on the drug charge. After service of the term of imprisonment, Brown will also face a term of supervised release of up to six years.  United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Brown 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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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury in Charleston returned a five-count indictment against Antwon Rashad Brown, a/k/a “Blee,” 28, of Charleston, and Antonio Shamar Fyall, III, 19, of Charleston.

Brown is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.  Fyall is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance.

Following the indictment, federal law enforcement officers placed a legal hold on the property where the illegal activity occurred. Federal law enforcement officers also seized an additional piece of property, several thousand dollars of cash, and firearms associated with the drug distribution conspiracy.

Brown faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted and is currently detained pending trial. Fyall faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison if convicted and is currently on bond pending trial.

This case is 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Charleston Police Department, and Charleston County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case. 

United States 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 — A federal grand jury in Charleston returned a three-count indictment against Elisha Shaleel Patterson, 20, of North Charleston, for felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The indictment alleges that on April 25, 2022, investigators observed Patterson engaged in an illegal gambling operation at the scene of a recent shooting. Officers arrested Patterson and during a subsequent search, they located a stolen 9mm pistol, marijuana, and a digital scale in his possession. Patterson is federally prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to a previous felony conviction.

Patterson faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted and is currently detained pending trial.

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

United States 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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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – David Lee Angell, 51, has been charged with knowing and willfully entering into an airport area in violation of security requirements and has been detained following a contested bond hearing in federal court in Columbia. 

A federal complaint was filed against Angell following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Columbia Metropolitan Department of Public Safety, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).  The FBI arrested Angell, and he appeared in Court upon his request for a bond. After a contested hearing, United States Magistrate Judge Shiva Hodges ordered Angell detained without bond pending the resolution of the federal charges against him.

During the hearing, an FBI special agent testified that Angell was stopped at TSA screening prior to attempting to board a plane at 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 pepper spray in his carry-on bag. All of these items are prohibited from being in a passenger’s carry-on baggage

As a result of the federal charge, Angell faces a maximum term of imprisonment of one year. The offense listed in the complaint is merely an allegation, and Angell is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the FBI, Columbia Metropolitan Department of Public Safety, and TSA. Assistant United States Attorney Elle E. Klein is prosecuting the case.

 

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Four defendants have been charged in the District of South Carolina for their alleged roles in a fraud scheme related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that involved nearly a hundred individuals from across the country, including Texas, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

The indicted defendants are

• Jacob Liticker, a/k/a “Jay Stunna,” 25, from Houston, Texas;
• Kehinde Mubarak Ladepo, 26, an enlisted member of the United States Air Force stationed at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter;
• Ganiyu Victor Ladepo, a/k/a “Victor,” 29, from Fayetteville, North Carolina; and
• and Maxwell Uzoma Okobi, a/k/a “Maxi,” 24, a resident of North Carolina currently deployed to Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

The indictment alleges that the defendants were part of a national scheme, led by Liticker, that attempted to fraudulently acquire $2 million in PPP loans, and that did fraudulently acquire nearly $1 million in PPP loans. The PPP loan program was administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. According to the indictment, Liticker created false PPP loan applications for nearly 100 people across the country, typically for amounts around $20,000, and would assist those individuals in submitting this false information to SBA-approved lenders. In doing so, he would often create false tax documentation to support the non-existent businesses. In exchange for his services, Liticker would receive a portion of the PPP loan proceeds. The indictment alleges that Liticker would also assist in getting the loans forgiven.

“PPP loans were finite funds designed to help businesses stay afloat amid unprecedented times and extraordinary challenges. Every dollar wrongly taken from this taxpayer-funded program was a dollar that could not go to a legitimate business in need,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “This Office takes pandemic-related crime seriously and stands ready prosecute fraud related to the Coronavirus in all its forms. This case highlights those efforts.”

"The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) is dedicated to protecting the integrity of the government's pandemic-related resources from abuse," said Special Agent in Charge Nicholas J. Groesbeck, OSI Procurement Fraud Detachment 4, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. "AFOSI and our joint law enforcement partners will continue the fight against fraud, which impacts legitimate smalls business that these programs are designed to support while ensuring those who violate the law are held accountable."

"These arrests are representative of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) steadfast commitment to hold accountable those who perpetrate fraud against the Department of Defense, even when those perpetrators are within the ranks of the Armed Forces," said Special Agent in Charge Chris Dillard, Department of Defense Inspector General, DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office. "DCIS and our partner agencies are dedicated to protecting the integrity of government programs as well as defending the Department of Defense's long standing traditions and values of honesty and integrity."

Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of imprisonment of up to 20 years, fines, and restitution.

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.

The case was investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and SBA’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek A. Shoemake, who also serves as the Office’s Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Marosek are prosecuting the case. A copy of the indictment and a copy of the chart illustrating the scope of the alleged scheme are attached.

U.S. Attorney 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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liticker_indictment.pdf liticker_chart.pdf

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA —Devin Lewis Vandeneynde, 27, of Ladson, was sentenced to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that on January 9, 2020, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents at HSI Charlotte received information from HSI London in reference to a British target of investigation, who was a user on the social media platform Kik. The target had been exchanging child pornography with another Kik user with the username of “dadof2b.” HSI London had determined that “dadof2b” utilized an iPhone to access the Kik service and that the IP addresses were associated with Vandeneynde’s residence.

On February 6, 2020, HSI Charleston agents executed a federal search warrant on Vandeneynde’s residence. Vandeneynde confessed to possession of child pornography. Forensics review showed that Vandeneynde possessed less than 20 images of child pornography, including images of prepubescent minors. The investigation further revealed that Vandeneynde was convicted in 2019 at a General Court-Martial of Wrongful Possession of Child Pornography and Distribution of Child Pornography and sentenced to six months confinement and a dishonorable discharge from the United States Army.

United States District Judge David C. Norton sentenced Vandeneynde to 48 months imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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 HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean H. Secor prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Thomas Lashort Bullock, 33, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than twelve years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that on September 17, 2021, deputies with the Richland County Sheriff's Department initiated a traffic stop on Bullock’s vehicle. However, as the officer approached the vehicle, Bullock pulled away and jumped the center curb into oncoming traffic in order to evade the stop. During the vehicle pursuit which followed, Bullock entered a neighborhood, where the officer observed Bullock toss a pistol out the vehicle’s driver side window. Bullock subsequently came to a stop and surrendered to officers. Bullock, who was on supervised release for a prior federal gun conviction, was in possession of a Francolin International Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a loaded Beretta 9mm pistol, and various quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and a mixture of cocaine and fentanyl, which he intended to distribute.

Bullock was detained without bond and pleaded guilty to three counts of the indictment. Bullock’s criminal history includes prior state convictions for assault and battery and burglary, as well as a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie sentenced Bullock to 135 months in federal prison to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. Bullock was also sentenced to an additional ten months of imprisonment to run consecutively for his violations of the terms of his supervised release. 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), 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 Richland County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA -- United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Potterfield will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Potterfield has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of South Carolina, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney Boroughs said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election.  Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.  The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.  The Department will address these violations wherever they occur.  The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.  The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).  

United States Attorney Boroughs stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.  In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Assistant U.S. Attorney/DEO Potterfield will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (803)-929-3092.”

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (803) 551-4200.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .

United States Attorney Boroughs said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate.  It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

 

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Richard Boggs, of Irmo, was convicted following a jury trial in federal court for five counts of tax evasion.

According to documents and evidence presented at trial, Boggs evaded $274,461 of his 2015 through 2019 individual income taxes by submitting to his employers an IRS Forms W-4 falsely stating he was exempt from federal income-tax withholding. He also did not file a 2015 through 2019 tax return, even though he was legally required to do so based on the amount of income he earned.

“The Defendant effectively stole more than a quarter million dollars from American taxpayers, and he has earned the punishment he will receive,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “I appreciate the hard work of our partners at the IRS to identify and investigate those who seek to illegally manipulate the tax system to enrich themselves.”

“The law is clear on the issue of who is required to file and pay taxes: there is no gray area on the subject,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Charlotte Field Office. “We should not forget that the ultimate victims in tax fraud cases are the people of the United States – those honest taxpayers who diligently file tax returns each year. This conviction sends a message that the IRS is working to make sure that all taxpayers file and pay their fair share of taxes.”

Senior United States District Judge Cameron M. Currie presided over the trial and will sentence Boggs on January 18, 2023, after receiving and reviewing pre-sentence reports prepared by the United States Probation Office.  Boggs faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.

Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John C. Potterfield and Dean H. Secor are prosecuting the case.

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — David Washington, 55, of Charleston, pleaded guilty in federal court to aiding and assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent income tax returns containing false deductions.

The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that Washington operated a fraud scheme wherein he would claim false business losses for taxpayers whose returns he was preparing to offset reported income.  Investigators determined that Washington’s customers provided correct tax-related information to Washington with the expectation that he would accurately file the returns for the customers. The amount of the business loss fraudulently claimed by Washington generated a substantial tax refund to which the taxpayers were not entitled and resulted in a significant loss of tax revenue to the United States Government.

“The vast majority of tax preparers, like taxpayers, are truthful and honest in their work product, calculations, and submissions,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “Those who seek to violate the tax laws, however, will face this Office and our federal partners at the IRS as we will continue to investigate and vigorously prosecute those who violate the law.”

"The IRS and Department of Justice are working vigorously to stop abusive tax schemes, whose activities unfairly shift the tax burden to honest American taxpayers," said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge Charlotte Field Office of the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division.  "Today's court action should serve as a reminder to taxpayers, to be wary of any scheme by a tax preparer which falsely adds expenses to their tax returns for the sole purpose of offsetting their income.”

Washington is subject to a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.00. United States District Judge David C. Norton accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Washington after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

The case was investigated by the IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy F. Bower prosecuted the case.

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Dockim Deeshawn McKnight, 34, of Brooklyn, New York, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that McKnight was one of 10 defendants charged in April 2014, following a series of court-authorized wiretaps over several telephones in the Columbia area. Six of the 10 defendants were arrested in April 2014, while four remained fugitives, including McKnight. McKnight remained a fugitive until his May 2022 arrest by the U.S. Marshals Service in Brooklyn. Two other fugitives were arrested in 2017 in Texas. The remaining fugitive 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 plead 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 imprisonment with 8 years of supervised release; Michael Glover of Columbia was sentenced to 324 months imprisonment with 8 years of supervised release; Jihad Salahadeen Pollard of Columbia was sentenced to 121 months imprisonment with 4 years of supervised release; Kenneth Crawford, Jr., of Washington, D.C. and formerly of Columbia was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment with 8 years of supervised release;  Charles Raheem Bradley of Columbia was sentenced to 57 months imprisonment with 6 years of supervised release to follow; Anthony Troy Glover of Columbia was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment with 8 years of supervised release to follow; Larry Grover Bookman of Columbia was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment with 6 years of supervised release; and Jessany Lyons of Far Rockaway, New York, was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release. The New York heroin suppliers were charged and convicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York for their role in the drug conspiracy.

McKnight faces a mandatory minimum of five years with a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least 4 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., accepted the guilty plea and will sentence McKnight after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

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, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department, Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Department, and the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. The U.S. Marshals Service and the Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force-Charlotte Office assisted in locating the four fugitives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia United States Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it will not pursue federal criminal civil rights charges against two former Charleston, South Carolina, sheriff’s deputies for the tragic death of Jamal Sutherland. Sutherland died on Jan. 5, 2021, after deputies forcibly extracted him from his cell at the Charleston County Detention Center. 

Officials from the Justice Department informed representatives of the Sutherland family of this determination.  

Experienced federal prosecutors at the Justice Department reviewed evidence obtained by the FBI and state investigators to determine whether the force used against Sutherland violated any federal laws, focusing on the application of 18 U.S.C. § 242, a federal criminal civil rights statute that prohibits certain types of official misconduct. They conducted an analysis of the evidence, including reports, law enforcement accounts, witness statements, physical evidence reports, training materials, photographs and videos of the incident. They also reviewed the Charleston County Solicitor’s Office’s public report on Sutherland’s death, including the expert force and medical analyses referenced in that report, which laid out the reasons why the state declined to pursue criminal charges. 

Under the applicable federal criminal civil rights laws, prosecutors must establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that an officer willfully deprived an individual of a constitutional right, meaning that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids. This is the highest standard of intent imposed by the law. Neither accident, mistake, fear, negligence nor bad judgment is sufficient to establish a willful federal criminal civil rights violation. After this review, prosecutors determined that insufficient evidence exists to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that deputies willfully violated the federal criminal civil rights statutes.  Accordingly, the review of this incident has been closed without a federal prosecution. This decision is limited strictly to an application of the high legal standard required to prosecute cases under federal civil rights laws; it does not reflect an assessment of any other aspect of the incident that led to Sutherland’s death. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, the Civil Rights Division and the FBI are committed to investigating allegations of civil rights violations by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources required to ensure that allegations of serious civil rights violations are fully and completely investigated. The department will aggressively prosecute criminal civil rights violations whenever there is sufficient evidence to do so.

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Daquan Tyreek Funchess-Johnson, 26, of Sumter, was sentenced to six years in federal prison after earlier pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Evidence presented to the court showed that in November 2019, officers with the Sumter Police Department were aware that Funchess-Johnson, a gang member and rapper who performed under the name “Lil Quan the CEO,” had outstanding warrants from Orangeburg County and was scheduled to perform at a local Sumter nightclub. Officers began surveillance and located Funchess-Johnson at approximately 3 a.m. outside a convenience store as he was headed back to his vehicle. Officers detained Funchess-Johnson on the outstanding warrants and located a loaded Ruger .45 caliber firearm concealed underneath his jacket in his vehicle.

The investigation showed that the firearm had previously been reported stolen from a gun store in 2017.  A ballistics analysis through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) linked the firearm to shell casings recovered from two separate shooting incidents in Sumter in July 2019.  Additionally, during the sentencing hearing, the court heard evidence that Funchess-Johnson, while in jail, recruited and paid a passenger in the vehicle to make a statement taking ownership of the firearm in an attempt to exonerate Funchess-Johnson.  His plan did not succeed.

Funchess-Johnson is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior felony convictions. He has prior state convictions for possession with intent to distribute marijuana,  possession of cocaine, cruelty to children, unlawful carrying of a weapon, and false information to police.  

United States District Judge Donald Coggins sentenced Funchess-Johnson to 72 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. In imposing the sentence, the court noted that this was not Funchess-Johnson’s “first rodeo” since he had been convicted of unlawful carrying of a firearm twice before in state court.

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.

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 Sumter Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes prosecuted the case.

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Greenville, South Carolina ---  Dishannon Matthew Luther Workman, 28, of Fountain Inn, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence presented to the court showed that Workman, who was on supervised release for a prior federal gun conviction, was in possession of a .380 Ruger pistol and marijuana when he was stopped by an officer of the Fountain Inn Police Department on June 17, 2020. Workman was released on a state bond but was sought by federal authorities for violation of his supervised release. On October 8, 2020, Workman was located at a car wash and taken into custody following a brief struggle. The arresting officers discovered a loaded .38 caliber revolver in his pocket and additional marijuana in the trunk of his car.

Workman was detained without bond and pleaded guilty to an information charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Workman to 96 months in federal prison to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

Workman’s criminal history includes prior state convictions for assault and battery, burglary, and larceny, as well as a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Fountain Inn Police Department, and the Greenville Police Department.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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 Chris Schoen prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs announced today that the Department of Justice has awarded more than $1.8 million to support the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program in the District of South Carolina. Funding will support community efforts to address the epidemic of gun crime and serious violence in the district. The grants, to Barnwell County, Cheraw, Dillon, North Myrtle Beach, Travelers Rest, and Williamston, are part of a number of awards being made to state and local agencies across the country. Funds are administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.

Launched two decades ago as an evidence-based and community-oriented response to serious gun crime, Project Safe Neighborhoods, known as PSN, is a key component of the Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, outlined by Deputy Attorney General Monaco in May 2021. The PSN approach is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities; supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place; setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities; and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.

“These funds are essential to allow our local law enforcement entities to build deeper partnerships with their communities,” said U.S. Attorney Boroughs. “When community leaders and law enforcement officials work together, they can focus on shared priorities, identify the most violent offenders, and address the root causes of violence in those communities. These community partnerships are the cornerstone of our violent crime reduction efforts because, quite simply, they work.”

“Reducing violence and sustaining those reductions will require strong partnerships between criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders and a shared commitment to the safety and well-being of every community member,” said OJP Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg. “The investments we are making through Project Safe Neighborhoods will enable every stakeholder to play a part in building safer and healthier communities.”

PSN programs are led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with local public safety agencies and community organizations. The programs’ emphasis on community engagement, prevention and intervention measures, focused and strategic enforcement, and measurement and accountability has helped achieve overall reductions in violent crime, including gun homicides, in neighborhoods where PSN strategies have been implemented.

“Over its two-decade history, Project Safe Neighborhoods has evolved to meet the complex challenges of community violence by enlisting the insights and expertise of local partners and by relying on the latest evidence,” said BJA Director Karhlton F. Moore. “We are proud to support our U.S. Attorneys and their allies in their critical work to curb violent crime and build the mutual trust necessary to ensure lasting success.”

The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about awards under PSN and other OJP grants can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page.

The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, advance racial equity in the administration of justice, assist victims and enhance the rule of law.  More information about OJP and its components can be found at  www.ojp.gov.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs, stated that today, October 19, 2022, the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), along with their local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, will support schools across the state as they participate in South Carolina’s 21st Annual Student Pledge Against Gun Violence. 

With a focus on keeping our schools and communities safe, students in middle school and high school are signing a voluntary pledge promising that they will never take a gun to school, will never resolve a dispute with a gun, and will use their influence to prevent friends from using guns to resolve disputes.  Elementary school children are making a similar commitment—pledging that if they see a gun they will not touch it, they will tell a teacher or a trusted adult, and they will assume that any gun they see might be loaded.                         

The Student Pledge Against Gun Violence is a national program that recognizes the role young people, through their own decisions, can play in reducing gun violence. The program provides a means for beginning the conversation with young people about gun violence and encourages important conversations about gun safety and respectful ways to resolve disputes. Students from around the country will join together in pledging to do their part. For additional information concerning the pledge, visit the national Student Pledge website at www.pledge.org.

As it has done since 2002, the USAO reached out to all South Carolina law enforcement agencies and schools to make the pledges available to interested schools. The pledge effort is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a national program that has been historically successful in bringing together law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

The following South Carolina schools and law enforcement agencies are participating in this year’s pledge.  For information on events scheduled for a particular school, please contact the respective school or local law enforcement agency.

Participating Law Enforcement Agencies

Abbeville County Sheriff’s Office

Anderson County Sheriff’s Office

Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office

Cayce Police Department

Charleston Police Department

Chester County Sheriff’s Office

Columbia Police Department

Darlington County Sheriff’s Office

Easley Police Department

Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office

Florence County Sheriff’s Office

Hanahan Police Department

Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office

Lexington County Sheriff’s Office

Marion County Sheriff’s Office

Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office

Myrtle Beach Police Department

North Charleston Police Department

Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office

Richland County Sheriff’s Office

Rock Hill Police Department

Tega Cay Police Department

Williamsburg County Sheriff’s Office

Williamston Police Department

York County Sheriff’s Office

 

Participating Schools

Airport High School

Alcorn Middle School

Bethel-Hanberry Elementary School

Blythewood Middle School

Bookman Road Elementary School

Brockington Elementary Magnet School

Brookdale Elementary School

Brookland-Cayce High School

Busbee Creative Arts Academy

C.A. Johnson High School

Calhoun County High School

Carver Elementary Magnet School

Catawba Trail Elementary School

Center for Inquiry

Center For Knowledge

Center for Knowledge North

Chester High School

Chicora Elementary School

Clover High School

Cyril B. Busbee Creative Arts Academy

Darlington County Institute of Technology

Denmark-Olar Elementary School

Dreher High School

Dutchman Creek Middle School

E. L. Wright Middle School

Eau Claire High School

Edisto Elementary School

Elloree Elementary/Middle School

Fairfield Magnet School for Math and Science

Forest Lake Elementary NASA Explorer School

Gold Hill Middle School

Greeleyville Primary School

H.B. Rhame Elementary School

Hand Middle School

Hannah Middle School

Hemingway M.B. Lee Middle School

Heyward Gibbes Middle School

Jackson Creek Elementary School

Joseph Keels Elementary School

Killian Elementary S.T.E.A.M. Leaders Magnet School

Lady’s Island Elementary School

Lake Carolina Elementary Upper School

Lake Carolina Lower Elementary School

Langford Elementary School

Leslie M. Stover Middle School

Logan Elementary School

Long Cane Primary School

Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary School

Lowcountry Acceleration Academy

Malcolm C. Hursey Montessori School

McColl Elementary Middle School

McCormick Elementary School

McCrorey School of Technology

McKissick Academy of Science and Technology

MED at Bridge Creek Elementary School

MSAP Donaldson

Muller Road Middle School

Myrtle Beach Middle School

New Bridge Academy

Newberry High School

North Springs Elementary School

Northside Middle School

Palmetto High School

Pendergrass-Fairwold High School

Pineridge Middle School

Polo Road Elementary

Pontiac Elementary School

R.H. Fulmer Middle School

Rivelon Elementary School

Sanders Clyde Creative Arts Elementary School

Sangaree Middle School

Spring Valley High School

St. Stephen Elementary School

Summit Parkway Middle School

Virtus Academy of South Carolina

W.A. Perry Middle School

Wallace-Gregg Elementary School

Westwood High School

Whittaker Elementary School

Wren Middle School

 

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs announced the results of federal efforts over the past year to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation.  During the past year, DOJ and its law enforcement partners tackled matters that ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors.  Substantial efforts both nationwide and in South Carolina have been made over the last year to return money to fraud victims.  Today, DOJ also announced it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to amplify efforts to combat scams originating overseas.

“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.  “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”

“Our older adults deserve protection from those who seek to swindle funds they have spent a lifetime accumulating, and this Office is ready and equipped to provide that protection here in South Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Boroughs. “These crimes are especially heinous because they can rob their victims - who often live on fixed incomes - of not only their life-long savings, but of their dignity. We are proud to join DOJ’s intensified efforts to target those who attempt to perpetrate these schemes.”

From September 2021 to September 2022, DOJ personnel and their law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged.

In the past year, DOJ has notified over 550,000 people that they may be eligible to receive money lost through elder fraud scams.  Many of these people were victims of “sweepstakes” or “astrology” solicitations that falsely promised prizes or individualized services in return for a fee. One of the most common scams used to prey on elderly victims is the “grandparent scam,” otherwise known as “person-in-need scam.”  These scams typically begin when a fraudster, often based overseas, contacts an older adult and poses as either a grandchild, other family member, or someone calling on behalf of a family member.  Victims are told that their family member is in jeopardy and is urgently in need of money.  Because these scams and others are pervasive, DOJ and the United States Attorney’s Office are committed to raising awareness about these schemes.

In South Carolina, the United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted several cases in the past year involving similar scams against elderly South Carolinians.  In May, United States District Judge Sherri Lydon sentenced four Jamaican nationals to terms of incarceration ranging from approximately three to five years and ordered them to pay back over $350,000 in fraudulently-obtained proceeds.  In that scam, the defendants contacted elderly victims by phone and mail, and falsely told them 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 told the victims they had to pay taxes and fees in order to receive their winnings, and victims mailed the defendants prepaid cards, money orders, cash, and personal checks.  At least 67 victims, who were mostly elderly, suffered a loss as part of the scheme.  Twenty-five of those victims were more than 80 years old, and several victims were targeted multiple times.

In September, United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced a foreign national to 78 months imprisonment and ordered her to pay back over $405,000 in fraudulently-obtained proceeds for her involvement in a similar scam. At least 175 victims, who were mostly elderly, suffered a loss as part of the scheme.  Seventy-three of those victims were more than 80 years old, and several victims were targeted multiple times.

In order to increase public awareness of these scams, the United States Attorney’s Office has partnered with state prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to speak to community groups about the pervasive dangers of elder fraud and abuse.  For instance, the office and its partners have hosted “Elder Fraud Bingo” with senior citizens across South Carolina, aimed at educating seniors on how to spot and protect themselves against frauds and scams.  Any members of the public interested in arranging a similar event or contacting a member of the United States Attorney’s Office who can speak to these issues, please call the main line at 803-929-3000.

Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults.  If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).  This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps.  Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.  English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs has announced the appointment of Assistant United States Attorney Johanna Valenzuela to be the District’s first Environmental Justice Coordinator.  Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.  Ms. Valenzuela is Deputy Chief of the Civil Division, where she litigates civil environmental cases and other enforcement matters.

“Our office is especially committed to protecting South Carolinians who are disproportionately burdened by environmental and health hazards,” said U.S. Attorney Boroughs. “By reporting public health and safety concerns, South Carolina residents can help to ensure firm but fair enforcement of our nation’s environmental and public health laws. These laws allow all our families a better opportunity to live, play, and work.”

The Office welcomes information from the public regarding possible environmental, health, and climate impacts on individuals and communities in the district. 

Members of the public may submit information or concerns regarding environmental harms by email, mail, or phone. 

Email:            johanna.valenzuela@usdoj.gov 

Mail:              U.S. Attorney’s Office

                        District of South Carolina

                        1441 Main Street, Suite 500

                        Columbia, SC 29201

                        Attn: Johanna Valenzuela, Environmental Justice Coordinator

Phone:    803-929-3000.

Environmental Justice Brochure

For more information about Environmental Justice and Enforcement for the District of South Carolina, please visit  https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/environmental-justice-and-enforcement.

For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc.

 

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Over the weekend, a joint team of more than 60 federal and state law enforcement officers executed nearly two dozen warrants for various properties in the Midlands area in what is believed to be the biggest takedown of a dogfighting operation in South Carolina history.

On Saturday, officers with the operation interrupted a scheduled dogfighting match in Richland County. The following morning, the officers executed 23 search warrants at various residences and properties in Richland, York, Orangeburg, Clarendon, Lee, and Sumter Counties that were known dogfighting kennels or associated with dogfighting. In total 305 dogs were rescued this weekend, with 275 believed to be associated with dogfighting. The Humane Society of the United States and Bark Nation supported the operation by assisting with animal handling and are currently assisting with the care of the animals. During the weekend operation, officers seized approximately 30 firearms, $40,000 in cash, and various evidence related to dogfighting. More than 20 individuals were arrested for state charges relating to animal cruelty and dogfighting.

“To force dogs to fight, often to the death, for the enjoyment of others is not only a federal crime, it is also cruel, sadistic, and can create a haven for other illicit activities involving drugs and firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “This joint operation, which has been months in the making, makes clear that dogfighting operations will find no refuge here in South Carolina. I especially want to thank our state and federal partners, the Governor’s Office, and our community partners for their leadership and work on this issue.”

“The depravity involved in carrying out a dogfighting conspiracy is unimaginable to most people, and those involved in such a crime must be rooted out and punished,” said Governor Henry McMaster, who started a dogfighting task force as Attorney General. “On behalf of all South Carolinians, I would like to thank the dedicated state and federal law enforcement officers who uncovered and disrupted this unspeakable cruelty. Our state is safer because of their hard work on this investigation.”

“SLED continues to see the devastating impacts of dog fighting across South Carolina. Law enforcement often finds that guns, illicit drugs, human trafficking, and child abuse are involved with instances of animal abuse,” said South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) Chief Mark Keel. “This operation was only a success because multiple agencies made up of dedicated professionals worked tirelessly for justice. Dog fighting is both inhumane and illegal - it will not be tolerated.”

“Even after the many years we have worked to protect dogs from the calculated brutality that dogfighting perpetuates, our responders are still struck by the resilience of these dogs who have suffered unthinkable cruelty,” said Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. “We are grateful to the federal and state officials for intervening on behalf of these dogs and for the opportunity to work together to get them the care they deserve.”  

The Animal Welfare Act makes it a felony punishable by up to five years in federal prison to fight dogs or to possess, train, sell, buy, deliver, receive, or transport dogs intended for use in dogfighting.

This is the first step in a continuing investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General and SLED. The U.S. Marshals Service, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, York County Sheriff’s Office, Rock Hill Police Department, Indiana Gaming Commission, and Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Criminal Investigations Division are also assisting in the investigation. U.S. Attorneys Jane B. Taylor, Elle E. Klein, Elizabeth Major, and Carrie Fisher Sherard are prosecuting the case.

If you have any information on dogfighting operations here in South Carolina, please call 1-800-424-9121.

Images and media from the operation are available here.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Rodney Ellis, 71, of Sumter, was sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to his role in defrauding a local non-profit organization. 

Evidence presented to the Court showed that while serving as the Financial Officer for Sumter Behavioral Health Services (SBHS), a 501c3 non-profit, Ellis defrauded the non-profit out of more than $800,000 over eight years. His scheme was to divert funds from SBHS banking accounts to his own personal banking accounts.

United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten sentenced Ellis to 33 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  Ellis was also ordered to pay restitution to SBHS in the amount of $812,259.07.  There is no parole in the federal system.

“By stealing from an organization that serves those suffering from substance abuse, Ellis took from those he should have been protecting,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “This case shows that financial crimes are not victimless, and often do the most harm to those who need help the most. This office will continue to aggressively prosecute fraud, and we appreciate the efforts of all state and federal agencies involved in this case.”

“Ellis used his position of power to take advantage of a system designed to help those with substance abuse challenges,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Columbia Special Agent in Charge, Susan Ferensic. “Our work is not finished. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to dismantle the schemes that hurt health organizations and we will hold the perpetrators accountable.”

“I am grateful to the United States Attorney’s Office for their efforts in bringing Rodney Ellis to justice,” said Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis “Ellis betrayed the trust of not only members of the Sumter Behavioral Health office, but the citizens of Sumter County. We hope the message is clear that anyone who betrays the trust of their employer by taking funds will be held responsible and all efforts will be utilized to bring them to justice.”

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Sumter County Sherriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower prosecuted the case.

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Darnell Khan, 39, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to his role in a scheme to extort and defraud military members that was operated from the South Carolina Department of Correction (SCDC).

Evidence presented to the Court showed that while serving a 25-year sentence in SCDC for voluntary manslaughter and attempted armed robbery, Khan smuggled smartphones into SCDC and used the internet to join internet dating websites.  Once on the internet dating websites, Khan would pose as a young woman, target young men who were in the military, and solicit nude photographs. Once the photographs were received, Khan and others posed as the father of the young woman, claimed that the young woman was underage, and accused the military member of being in possession of child pornography.  Khan and others then threatened to have the military members arrested or dishonorably discharged unless they paid money.

From January 2017 to July 2017, due to this extortion, service members transferred funds to Khan totaling $62,500.71, which investigators traced to at least 40 victims.

“Mr. Khan knowingly used deceit to prey on those who serve our nation. This is inexcusable,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “This case also shows that nothing good comes from smartphones in prison. Inmates use them to continue criminal activity behind bars, and we hope this prosecution helps state officials in their efforts to eliminate and disable contraband phones in prison.”

“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service will not tolerate these organized criminals targeting our service members,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our Warfighters from sextortion crimes and hold these criminals accountable.”

“Mr. Khan deserves to be held fully accountable for his leading role in this reprehensible and criminal network targeting military service members,” said Special Agent in Charge Erin Carmichael of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Carolinas Field Office.  “NCIS will not tolerate the existence of sextortion rings like this that degrade the readiness of our military force. 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 harm.”

“This is another in a long line of cases that would be stopped if we had the ability to jam cellphone signals in state prisons,” said Bryan Stirling, Director of SCDC. “I am calling on Congress to support a hearing on the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act and allow states to use technology to stop inmates from using these illegal phones to prey on innocent victims.”

United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Khan to 84 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  This sentence will be served after Khan completes his 25-year state prison sentence.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by DCIS, NCIS, and SCDC.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Orville and Amy Bower prosecuted the case.

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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury in Florence returned a five-count indictment against Troy Benjamin Bittner, 53, of Myrtle Beach, for defrauding a local resort out of nearly $1 million during the pandemic.

The indictment alleges that Bittner, in his role as manager for Carolina Pines RV Resort, used his access to the company’s credit card reservation system to commit wire fraud. Specifically, although certain guests stayed at Carolina Pines, Bittner would nonetheless use the electronic payment system to initiate a refund as if those guests had cancelled their reservations. According to the indictment, during the Coronavirus pandemic it was not uncommon for guests to cancel reservations. However, rather than direct the refunds to the credit cards on file, Bittner instead issued the refunds to his own various personal credit cards. Over the 26-month window of Bittner’s alleged scheme, he received more than $800,000 in fraudulent refunds at the expense of Carolina Pines.

Bittner faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, in addition to forfeiture and restitution.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek A. Shoemake 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 — Brian Lydell Robinson, 39, of Warrenville, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison after pleading guilty to extortion and impersonating an officer of the United States.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that beginning in the Spring of 2019, Robinson used a dating app to contact a Mount Pleasant woman and solicit commercial sex. Using multiple telephone numbers controlled from a single device, Robinson then posed as a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigator working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office investigating a politically connected sex trafficker. Robinson threatened the victim by telling her that she would be prosecuted for prostitution, which would ruin her reputation, unless she assisted in an undercover operation against the sex trafficker who was, in fact, Robinson. In truth there was no investigation, and Robinson extorted money and sex from his victim by posing as the sex trafficker under investigation, the investigator, and a defense lawyer.

“The Defendant terrorized and exploited his victim through extreme deception and intimidation, and he deserves to go to prison,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “We will not tolerate predators posing as law enforcement officers. Those who impersonate federal agents, or use the threat of federal prosecution, to exploit the public will encounter actual federal agents and real prosecution. If you have a question about whether a person is actually a law enforcement officer, call the agency using a publicly posted phone number and ask for verification.”

“Stopping those who pose as law enforcement to commit crimes is of utmost importance to law enforcement and the community,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Ronnie Martinez, who oversees HSI operations in North Carolina and South Carolina. “This sentencing should send a clear message that we are on the hunt for these impostors.”’

“Impersonating an officer threatens the trust and respect law enforcement professionals work to earn every day serving our communities,” said South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) Chief Mark Keel, “SLED is proud to support the DOJ and HSI in investigations like these to ensure those who seek to prey upon our fellow citizens face the consequences.”

In outlining the scheme, the evidence presented to the Court also showed that after luring the victim across state lines and sexually exploiting her with this ruse, Robinson, acting as the sex trafficker supposedly under investigation, confronted the victim and told her that he knew that she was working for law enforcement. Robinson assured the victim that he could keep them both out of trouble through the services of a well-positioned defense attorney, but said that the victim would owe him money. After Robinson allegedly placed a call to the defense attorney, the victim was contacted by the fictitious federal agent, who claimed that his case had been temporarily suspended because of Robinson’s attorney.

Over the next seven months, Robinson extorted the victim for money to pay for non-existent legal services under the false premise that such services were needed to avoid federal prosecution. When the victim ran out of funds, Robinson extorted sex and pornographic materials from the victim in lieu of payment. The victim went to the police after Robinson demanded that she have sex with multiple men at the same time, and she became fearful that she would be abducted. Robinson has multiple prior convictions for offenses including forgery, obtaining property under false pretenses, and burglary.

United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Robinson to 120 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by HSI, SLED, and the Mount Pleasant Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Schoen and Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.

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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Dominique Devonah Brand, 30, of Marion, was convicted following a multi-day bench trial on all three counts charged: 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.

Evidence presented by the Government at trial established that on Sunday, March 28, 2021, Brand entered Mary Ann Elvington’s home in Nichols, South Carolina.   While inside the house, he fired a 12-gauge shotgun into the hallway floor at close range.  Mr. Brand’s DNA was later found on multiple items inside Ms. Elvington’s home, including the spent, 12-gauge shotgun shell he fired, a pizza slice he apparently ate from while there, a water bottle he drank from, and a jewelry box he touched.  Across the street from Ms. Elvington’s home, investigators found Mr. Brand’s blood and touch DNA inside a stolen church van that was stuck in the mud. 

At about 6:11 p.m. that Sunday, Brand forced Ms. Elvington to drive him from her house to Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina, and back into South Carolina.  During this trip, Mr. Brand sat behind Ms. Elvington with the shotgun.  Ms. Elvington’s cell site location information showed her car was initially headed back toward her home in Nichols.  But in Lake View, South Carolina, surveillance video from the Lake View Police Department captured Brand directing Ms. Elvington into the back seat of her car, moving a gun to the front seat, getting in the driver’s seat, and making a U-turn, heading away from Ms. Elvington’s home.  The surveillance video showed Brand was alone with Ms. Elvington—carrying a gun—shortly before she was murdered.  After leaving Lake View, Brand drove Ms. Elvington to a remote crossroads in Marion County and walked her behind the abandoned Zion Grocery store.  He held the shotgun to the back of her head and pulled the trigger, executing her.

Brand then drove Ms. Elvington’s car to Marion, where he hid it behind an abandoned club.  Investigators found Brand’s blood on a wooden block sitting in the driver’s seat and on a fuse puller on the ground outside the car.  Ms. Elvington’s body was located the following evening, March 29, 2021.  After learning he was a suspect, Brand turned himself in to authorities on March 31, 2021.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon presided over the trial and will sentence Brand after receiving and reviewing a pre-sentence report that will be prepared by the United States Probation Office.  Brand faces a penalty of life imprisonment on each count

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with significant assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Horry County Police Department, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Marion Police Department, Lake View Police Department, and Nichols Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Everett McMillian and Katie Stoughton prosecuted the case along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Hixson, who also serves as the Deputy Solicitor for the 15th Judicial Circuit. 

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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA —Stanley J. Kowalewski, 50, of North Carolina, was sentenced to more than an additional year in federal prison for mailing a threatening communication to a United States District Court Judge.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that following a federal jury trial in the Northern District of Georgia, Kowalewski was convicted on 22 counts related to a sophisticated fraud scheme and sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison. 

While serving that sentence in a prison in South Carolina, a federal judge received a letter that threatened to cause the women close to the judge to disappear if the judge did not grant pending motions for compassionate release (a request for a reduction in sentence and release from prison) by a certain date.  Specifically, the letter stated:

“Judge [Redacted],

You have failed to do the right things. Now you make us do this. You will grant ALL pending motions in your court for compassionate release by July 2nd, 2021 at 3:00 PM or earlier. They are all to be reduced to time served with NO supervised release.  They will be immediate release from prison and no delays. If not, then we will begin to disappear the women closest to you. We know where they live, work, or go to school. If you try to alert the authorities, we will know and your loved ones will disappear. Do your job and everyone will be happy and you’ll never here from us again.

A.C.B.”

The day before the threat was mailed, an individual visited Kowalewski in the low security prison where Kowalewski was then housed. When that person arrived, Kowalewski gave the visitor two envelopes, one inside the other, telling him to handle it with gloves, to not get fingerprints on it, to not ask questions, and to place it in the mail.  Kowalewski called the visitor after he left and told him to hurry up and mail the letter. 

At the time of the threat, Kowalewski had a motion for compassionate release pending before the victim Court, and the threat came during a time Kowalewski had directed others to conduct an aggressive campaign contacting the Court asking for that motion to be granted.  Three weeks before the threat, Kowalewski said in a recorded call, “I just told everybody to double up on [the victim judge] and call twice a week and really make their life miserable.”

When the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and United States Marshal’s Service initially confronted Kowalewski, he lied about his participation in the threat and then sent out letters that provided the visitor a false story to tell agents if he was approached.  If the visitor stuck with the story, Kowalewski wrote, “this will be over.” 

Chief United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced Kowalewski to serve an additional 15 months in federal prison (to be served consecutive his current sentence), with three years of court-ordered supervision to follow. There is no parole in the federal system. 

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service with assistance from the FBI, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and agencies in the Northern District of Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina – Crystal Deveaux, 61, of Eastover, was sentenced to more than a year in federal prison after pleading guilty to theft of Government funds totaling of over $258,000.00.

Evidence presented to the Court showed Deveaux unlawfully obtained Social Security Retirement Insurance Benefits (RIB) on behalf of her deceased grandmother, which she used for her own personal benefit from June 2001 through December 2020. While acting as a representative for her deceased grandmother, Deveaux failed to notify the Social Security Administration of the death and continued to cash and deposit the RIB checks she received on her grandmother’s behalf. Additionally, Deveaux caused the Social Security Administration to pay an additional $22,840.10 in Medicare premiums on behalf of the deceased grandmother. Further, Deveaux was a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient herself and was wrongly paid $22,875.00 as she had unreported income; and she failed to report her husband’s Veteran’s Administration (VA) benefits, causing her to be paid another $23,751.42 by the Social Security Administration.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Deveaux to 15 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. Deveaux was ordered to pay restitution to the Social Security Administration.

The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney T. DeWayne Pearson.

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WASHINGTON – Philips RS North America LLC, formerly known as Respironics Inc., a manufacturer of durable medical equipment (DME) based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has agreed to pay over $24 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it misled federal health care programs by paying kickbacks to DME suppliers. The affected programs were Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE, which is the health care program for active military and their families.

The settlement resolves allegations that Respironics caused DME suppliers to submit claims for ventilators, oxygen concentrators, CPAP and BiPAP machines, and other respiratory-related medical equipment that were false because Respironics provided illegal inducements to the DME suppliers. Respironics allegedly gave the DME suppliers physician prescribing data free of charge that could assist their marketing efforts to physicians.    

“Paying illegal remuneration to induce patient referrals undermines the integrity of our nation’s health care system,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “To ensure that the goods and services received by federal health care program patients are determined by their health care needs, rather than the financial interests of third parties, we will pursue any individual or entity that violates the prohibition on paying kickbacks, including DME manufacturers.”

“The people of South Carolina need to know that medical facts — not finances — drive their health care decisions,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “Those who improperly use money and other things of value to induce business in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute will be held accountable.”

“Paying kickbacks to medical equipment providers is misaligned with patient care and corrupts our nation’s health care programs including TRICARE,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, DCIS will continue to investigate those who risk harming the welfare of our active-duty service members and seek to profit at the expense of the American taxpayer.”

“By paying kickbacks to obtain patient referrals, DME manufacturers are prioritizing financial incentives over patient needs, which undermines the integrity of federal health care programs," said Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles for the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "HHS-OIG will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to prevent such waste of valuable taxpayer dollars."

The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits the knowing and willful payment of any remuneration to induce the referral of services or items that are paid for by a federal health care program, such as Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE. Claims submitted to these programs in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute give rise to liability under the False Claims Act.

The settlement provides that Respironics will pay $22.62 million to the United States, and in addition, will pay $2.13 million to the various states as a result of the impact of Respironics’ conduct on their Medicaid programs, pursuant to the terms of separate settlement agreements that Respironics has, or will enter into, with those states.

In addition to the civil settlement, Respironics entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. The CIA requires Respironics to implement and maintain a robust compliance program that includes, among other things, review of arrangements with referral sources and monitoring of Respironics’ sales force. The CIA also requires Respironics to retain an independent monitor, selected by the OIG, to assess the effectiveness of Respironics’ compliance systems.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit originally brought by Jeremy Orling, a Respironics’ employee, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. As part of this resolution, Orling will receive approximately $4.3 million of the federal settlement amount.

This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina with assistance from the HHS-OIG and HHS Office of Investigations; DCIS; the Defense Health Agency Office of General Counsel; and the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units.  

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

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. 

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Note: View the complaint here.

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Justin Allen Chavis, 27, of Williston, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor and the production of child pornography, to be followed by 20 years of supervision and registration as a sex offender.

Evidence presented in court showed that Chavis engaged in sexual acts with two minor children, and that he produced photographs and videos of the abuse, which Chavis then distributed through the internet.

Evidence further indicated that on April 2, 2020, Chavis communicated over the internet with a person he was told was another adult interested in abusing children, but in fact he was communicating with an undercover FBI agent.  The pair discussed past and future abuse of multiple children, and Chavis described himself as “active” with numerous children under the age of seven, describing specific sex acts he had coerced his victims to engage in.  Chavis then began sharing photographs and videos of what appeared to be Chavis sexually abusing children he had access to.

Within one day, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) determined Chavis’s identity and obtained an arrest warrant and a federal search warrant for his residence.  FBI executed the arrest and search with assistance from the Barnwell County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS).  Chavis has remained in custody since that day.  FBI recovered photographs and videos of the abuse from Chavis’s phone, and Chavis made admissions regarding his conduct. Chavis ultimately pled guilty to the sexual exploitation of a minor and the production of child pornography.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Chavis to 324 months in federal prison, to be followed by 20 years of court-ordered supervision, restitution to be paid to two victims, and Chavis will have to register as a sex offender after release. There is no parole in the federal system. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case was investigated by the FBI with critical assistance from the Barnwell County Sheriff’s Office and DSS. Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.

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SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA — Sung Wook Kim, also known as Paul, 36, of Lexington, was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that Kim used a position of trust to defraud his employer, fabricating three contracts with one of the company’s clients and fraudulently signing documents related to those contracts.  Relying on Kim’s fraudulent contracts, his employer spent $2,918.962.48. Kim also made $139,250 in bonuses and increased pay as a result of the fraudulent contracts. Evidence additionally showed that Kim had falsely reported his qualifications when obtaining his employment.

United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Kim to 24 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. The Court ordered Kim to pay $2,918.962.48 in restitution and entered a forfeiture judgment of $139,250.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Schoen prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —A federal jury in Columbia convicted Gabriel L’Ambiance Ingram, a/k/a “Big Shot”, a/k/a “Big Shot Rock”, a/k/a “Rock”, 33, Darrell Larod Crockett, a/k/a “Unc”, a/k/a “Croc”, 50, and Carl Michael Mann, II, a/k/a “Pike”, 39, all of Rock Hill for multiple drug and gun charges relating to a multi-state drug operation out of the Rock Hill and Charlotte, North Carolina area.

Evidence presented during the seven-day trial  showed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and York County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) began to investigate a group of defendants who were obtaining large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana from a distributor in Southern California.  Based upon the investigation, law enforcement was able to determine that members of the group were flying to California and having the drugs shipped back to the Rock Hill and Charlotte area.   After the drugs were shipped back to South Carolina, the group distributed the drugs to local dealers.  This group shipped more than 255 packages containing the drugs from California during a one-year time period and distributed more than five kilograms of cocaine, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, one kilogram or more of heroin, and more than a 1000 grams of marijuana. 

Testimony at the trial showed that the group used the fentanyl to make more than 1 million counterfeit Roxicodone pills, which were sold to users in Rock Hill, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, and Atlanta, Ga. Nineteen  defendants were charged in this case.  Sixteen defendants pled guilty to their involvement. 

More than 250 exhibits were entered into evidence during the trial, and more than two dozen witnesses travelled from California, Charlotte, New York, Georgia, and South Carolina to testify.

The jury ultimately convicted all of the defendants on all charges.  Ingram was convicted of being involved in the conspiracy with the others.  He was also convicted of possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and heroin, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and three counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Crockett was convicted of being a member of the conspiracy along with possession with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.  Mann was also convicted of being a member of the conspiracy along with possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.  All of the defendants are facing a maximum of life imprisonment for their involvement. 

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.   There is no parole in the federal system.   

This case 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 the FBI, York County DEU, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriff’s Office, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys William K. Witherspoon, Elliott B. Daniels, Elle E. Klein, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Fyall prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Raekwon Cortez Ford, 25, of Columbia, was sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that, in late November 2019, several automobiles were broken into and various items stolen, including an iPhone. One of the victims of the break-ins was able to track their iPhone to a residence in Columbia and notified the Columbia Police Department.  Officers responded to the residence and found a number of individuals in the yard, including Ford.  Ford, a gang member, was placed under arrest on outstanding warrants and was found to be in possession of the stolen iPhone. 

Officers then obtained a search warrant for Ford’s residence, which they executed a month later. Within the residence, officers located Ford, who had been released on state bond from the earlier arrest, and found a loaded Ruger .45 caliber handgun concealed in an air vent in Ford’s bedroom.  An analysis showed Ford’s DNA on the firearm and that the firearm had been reported stolen from an earlier auto break-in in Columbia in December 2018.  A ballistics analysis through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) revealed that the firearm had been used in four separate shooting incidents in Richland and Lexington Counties from June through August 2019. It should be noted that there was no evidence linking Ford himself to the actual shootings as he was in jail on state charges at the time of the shootings.   

During the sentencing hearing, the Court heard evidence of Ford’s possession of four other firearms, some with extended magazines, and some of which had been reported stolen from automobiles. The Court also heard evidence of threats made by Ford toward a Deputy United States Marshal and a correctional officer while incarcerated. That post-plea conduct increased his sentencing range and resulted in Ford losing his acceptance of responsibility reduction despite pleading guilty.

Ford is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior felony convictions. Ford has prior state convictions for unlawful carrying of a weapon, possession of a pistol by a person under 18 years of age, obtaining property under false pretenses, and breach of peace of an aggravated nature (which involved a shooting).  

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Ford to 60 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of Court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. In imposing the sentence, the Court noted, “Guns in the hands of folks who aren’t supposed to have them is very serious business.”

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.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina----Judge Bruce Hendricks of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina sentenced a California man today to 10 years in prison for his role as the ringleader of a nationwide Ponzi scheme that exploited military veterans in desperate financial straits and targeted elderly investors seeking a safe retirement investment.

Scott Kohn, 68, of Newport, California, ran a corporation called Future Income Payments LLC (FIP), formerly known as Pensions, Annuities, and Settlements LLC. From April 2011 until April 2018, Kohn and his co-conspirators used FIP as a vehicle for a nationwide Ponzi scheme.   

Kohn and his co-conspirators solicited pensioners experiencing financial distress, most of whom were military veterans, by offering an upfront lump-sum payment in exchange for an assignment of the rights to their monthly pensions and disability payments. Even though the assignment transactions were characterized as “sales,” they were, in fact, usurious loans with annual interest rates of as much as 240%. 

Kohn and his co-conspirators – working through a network of hundreds of financial advisors and insurance agents nationwide – then solicited thousands of seniors to purchase FIP’s “structured cash flows,” which were the pensioners’ monthly pension payments. Kohn and his co-conspirators induced these seniors to invest their retirement savings with FIP by making false assurances of a significant rate of return on their investment, concealing the usurious nature of FIP’s transactions with the pensioners and lying about the financial health of the corporation.

During the seven years the scheme operated, Kohn drew upon FIP funds to live a lavish lifestyle. When the Ponzi scheme ultimately collapsed, Kohn and his co-conspirators had caused more than $310 million in losses to more than 2,500 retirees and had placed more than 13,000 veterans into exploitative loans.

“The elaborate Ponzi scheme orchestrated by Kohn and his co-conspirators preyed upon both military veterans experiencing financial hardship and retirees hoping to protect their life savings,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting our military community and America’s seniors from fraud and abuse.”

“Kohn and his co-conspirators reached across the country to steal from veterans and seniors who desperately needed their money,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “These hundreds of millions in losses will reverberate through the victims’ lives long after the defendants serve well-deserved federal prison sentences. This office works tirelessly to protect the people of South Carolina, especially our most loyal and most vulnerable citizens. I appreciate the work of our federal partners and our partners at DOJ for making this prosecution a success.”

“Kohn’s actions resulted in devastating consequences for the thousands of seniors and veterans who entrusted him with their money,” said Special Agent in Charge Susan Ferensic of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “We are pleased that he acknowledged his crimes, and that justice will be served.”

In addition to a prison term, Judge Hendricks ordered Kohn to forfeit $297 million and be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.

Four other defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy for their roles in this scheme. Kraig S. Aiken, 53, of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2019. David N. Kenneally, 59, of Greenville, South Carolina, pleaded guilty on July 22, 2020. Melanie Jo Schulze-Miller, 40, of Peoria, Arizona, pleaded guilty on Dec.11, 2020. Joseph P. Hipp, 52, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty on Dec.21, 2021. Sentencing hearings have not yet been set for these co-conspirators.

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 FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Benefits Protection and Remediation Division and the Defense Finance Accounting Service. Resources from the Justice Department’s Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative and the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force aided in the investigation and prosecution.

The department’s extensive and broad-based efforts to combat elder fraud seeks to halt the widespread losses seniors suffer from fraud schemes. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who 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.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. For more information on the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative, or to file a complaint, visit https://www.justice.gov/servicemembers. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the South Carolina, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc.

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Judge Bruce Hendricks of the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina sentenced a California man today to 10 years in prison for his role as the ringleader of a nationwide Ponzi scheme that exploited military veterans in desperate financial straits and targeted elderly investors seeking a safe retirement investment.

Scott Kohn, 68, of Newport, California, ran a corporation called Future Income Payments LLC (FIP), formerly known as Pensions, Annuities, and Settlements LLC. From April 2011 until April 2018, Kohn and his co-conspirators used FIP as a vehicle for a nationwide Ponzi scheme.   

Kohn and his co-conspirators solicited pensioners experiencing financial distress, most of whom were military veterans, by offering an upfront lump-sum payment in exchange for an assignment of the rights to their monthly pensions and disability payments. Even though the assignment transactions were characterized as “sales,” they were, in fact, usurious loans with annual interest rates of as much as 240%. 

Kohn and his co-conspirators – working through a network of hundreds of financial advisors and insurance agents nationwide – then solicited thousands of seniors to purchase FIP’s “structured cash flows,” which were the pensioners’ monthly pension payments. Kohn and his co-conspirators induced these seniors to invest their retirement savings with FIP by making false assurances of a significant rate of return on their investment, concealing the usurious nature of FIP’s transactions with the pensioners and lying about the financial health of the corporation.

During the seven years the scheme operated, Kohn drew upon FIP funds to live a lavish lifestyle. When the Ponzi scheme ultimately collapsed, Kohn and his co-conspirators had caused more than $310 million in losses to more than 2,500 retirees and had placed more than 13,000 veterans into exploitative loans.

“The elaborate Ponzi scheme orchestrated by Kohn and his co-conspirators preyed upon both military veterans experiencing financial hardship and retirees hoping to protect their life savings,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to protecting our military community and America’s seniors from fraud and abuse.”

“Kohn and his co-conspirators reached across the country to steal from veterans and seniors who desperately needed their money,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “These hundreds of millions in losses will reverberate through the victims’ lives long after the defendants serve well-deserved federal prison sentences. This office works tirelessly to protect the people of South Carolina, especially our most loyal and most vulnerable citizens. I appreciate the work of our federal partners and our partners at DOJ for making this prosecution a success.”

“Kohn’s actions resulted in devastating consequences for the thousands of seniors and veterans who entrusted him with their money,” said Special Agent in Charge Susan Ferensic of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “We are pleased that he acknowledged his crimes, and that justice will be served.”

In addition to a prison term, Judge Hendricks ordered Kohn to forfeit $297 million and be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing his prison term.

Four other defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy for their roles in this scheme. Kraig S. Aiken, 53, of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2019. David N. Kenneally, 59, of Greenville, South Carolina, pleaded guilty on July 22, 2020. Melanie Jo Schulze-Miller, 40, of Peoria, Arizona, pleaded guilty on Dec.11, 2020. Joseph P. Hipp, 52, of St. Louis, Missouri, pleaded guilty on Dec.21, 2021. Sentencing hearings have not yet been set for these co-conspirators.

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 FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Benefits Protection and Remediation Division and the Defense Finance Accounting Service. Resources from the Justice Department’s Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative and the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force aided in the investigation and prosecution.

The department’s extensive and broad-based efforts to combat elder fraud seeks to halt the widespread losses seniors suffer from fraud schemes. The best method for prevention, however, is by sharing information about the various types of elder fraud schemes with relatives, friends, neighbors and other seniors who can use that information to protect themselves.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who 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.

Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. For more information on the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative, or to file a complaint, visit https://www.justice.gov/servicemembers. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the South Carolina, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc.

FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA —Two members of a Myrtle Beach family were sentenced to federal prison, and a third to probation, for their roles in a scheme to defraud the Government out of more than $500,000 by submitting false tax returns, and by stealing economic impact payments sent to others as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Specifically, Donna Karakatsani, 48, was sentenced to two years in prison while her son, Ivo Krasimirov Ivanov, 29, was sentenced to a year and a half in prison. Todor Milkov Stoenchev, 54, Karakatsani’s husband and Ivanov’s stepfather, was sentenced to five years of probation given his more limited role in the scheme.

“During a time when many families were struggling to make mortgage payments, this family was buying houses with money they stole from the American people,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “This fraud scheme was complex, lasted over several years, and took place primarily during a pandemic when these funds were sorely needed. These Defendants deserve their sentences, and I want to thank our federal partners who followed every lead, including interviewing dozens of foreign nationals and poring through mountains of tax returns and foreign-language correspondence. Their quick and thorough investigation also allowed the Government to recover a substantial portion of the stolen funds.”

“The sentences handed down today highlight the seriousness of the Defendants’ conduct,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Field Office of Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Criminal Investigation. “We will remain vigilant in identifying and investigating those who seek to defraud the American taxpayers by fraudulently using identities to file false claims for refunds.”

“Our nation went through one of the most challenging virus outbreaks in recent memory and one of our Government’s responses was establishing the CARES Act to lessen the economic impact on its citizens,” said Michael Speckhardt, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Office of Investigations, U.S. Department of State. “Unfortunately, the Defendants saw this as an opportunity to enrich themselves through a fraud scheme for which they were caught. Today’s sentencing underscores the Department of State’s commitment to prosecuting those who undermine the integrity of our programs.”

Evidence presented to the Court showed that beginning sometime in 2020, the IRS, along with Department of State OIG, began an investigation into the family regarding false claims for tax refunds and stolen refunds. Specifically, Karakatsani and Ivanov held themselves out as tax preparers and targeted foreign individuals, usually Bulgarians, who had spent time in the United States. They would recruit the foreign nationals through the internet and at various locations around Myrtle Beach. They also submitted numerous tax returns in the names of these foreign individuals, and would often cause those foreign individuals to receive refunds, primarily education credits. However, as foreign workers they were not entitled to these education credits.

To help keep the scheme from being detected, the Defendants enlisted other individuals to open U.S. bank accounts into which these refunds were deposited, and paid these individuals $100 for each account they opened. Ultimately, Defendants caused 68 bank accounts to be opened across 16 different banks in the names of 14 different individuals. Defendants altered their scheme when, as part of the CARES Act, the Government sent economic impact payments to qualifying individuals to their bank accounts on file. Given the false returns they had already filed, hundreds of economic impact payments were deposited into the bank accounts under Defendants’ control. Defendants retained the economic impact payments for themselves although they were aware that neither they, nor the foreign individuals to whom the payments were directed, were entitled to these funds. Defendants used the money for personal expenses and to buy real estate. Ultimately, Defendants defrauded the Government out of $530,292.60.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Karakatsani to 24 months in federal prison, and Ivanov to 18 months in federal prison, both to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. She sentenced Stoenchev to five years’ probation. Additionally, the Government recovered approximately $380,000 of stolen funds primarily through sales of the ill-gotten property, and the Defendants were ordered to pay an additional $150,893.58 in restitution.

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.

The case was investigated by the IRS and Department of State OIG, with assistance from the Department of Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, the Myrtle Beach Police Department, and the Horry County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek A. Shoemake, who also serves as the Office’s Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator, prosecuted the case.

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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Daeja Bryana Hodge, 25, of Sumter, and Kelsey Antonio McCallum, 29, of Gainesville, Ga., for one count of conspiracy, three counts of making false statements on firearms purchase forms, and aiding and abetting.

The indictment alleges that, from at least June of 2020, Hodge and McCallum conspired to make false statements while purchasing firearms, and engaged in unlicensed dealing of firearms. The indictment further alleges that, on two dates in January, 2021, Hodge – aided and abetted by McCallum – falsely claimed on purchase forms at two firearms dealers in Columbia that she was the true purchaser of eight firearms when she was not the true buyer. 

Hodge and McCallum face a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment. 

This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive’s (ATF) 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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn 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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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Kimo Takarra Felton, 42, of Conway, was sentenced this week to more than 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a member of a 35-member conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. 

Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing reflects that between 2017 and 2020, Felton supplied other drug dealers in the Myrtle Beach area with various quantities of cocaine totaling more than 50 kilograms.  Felton’s participation in this conspiracy came to light when he was intercepted during a wiretap investigation conducted during the summer of 2020.  In August 2020, agents subsequently intercepted a shipment of half a kilogram of cocaine that Felton had just sent to another drug dealer by way of a courier.  When Felton was arrested by federal authorities on December 1, 2020, he answered the door with a Draco 7.62 caliber assault rifle and several other firearms were found inside his residence, a location where he had met others during the course of the conspiracy.  Despite his lack of any prior felony convictions, Felton received a lengthy sentence based on the significant quantity of drugs he distributed and his possession of firearms during the offense. 

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Felton to 135 months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.  Felton has been in custody since his December 2020 arrest.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This operation was 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.

Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Florence Resident Office quarterbacked this large-scale, long-term investigation with significant participation from the following agencies: Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), United States Marshal Service, Myrtle Beach Police Department, Horry County Police Department, North Myrtle Beach Police Department, Florence County Sheriff’s Office, Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office, 15th Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit, Conway Police Department, and Horry County Sheriff’s Office. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian, Lead Attorney for the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), prosecuted the case with support from the 15thth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. 

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury in Charleston returned a two-count indictment against Jeremy Allen Hughes, 39, of Goose Creek, for possessing a weapon after a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction and impersonating a federal law enforcement officer.

The indictment alleges that on November 22, 2021, Jeremy Hughes falsely claimed he was with the U.S. Marshals searching for a fugitive. Hughes carried a pistol and shotgun and wore tactical clothing with a “Police US Marshals” shirt. Investigators ultimately arrested Hughes on December 1, 2021. During the arrest, Hughes had multiple firearms and ammunition on his person. During a search of his residence, investigators located several additional firearms and ammunition. According to information presented to the Court, Hughes is federally prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to a previous domestic violence conviction.

Hughes faces a maximum penalty of thirteen years in prison if convicted, and he is currently detained.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was investigated by the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant United States Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case. 

United States 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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Columbia, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Christopher Cunningham, 33, of Columbia, for conspiracy to steal guns from Walmart, theft of guns from Walmart, possession of stolen guns, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

The indictment alleges that on March 6, 2022, Cunningham and an unknown co-conspirator entered Walmart after the close of business and stole four firearms from the store’s inventory. The indictment further alleges that this incident happened after Cunningham was convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year.

Cunningham faces a maximum penalty of five years on the conspiracy charge and 10 years on each of the remaining charges. He is currently detained pending trial.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the City of Columbia Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall 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 —Scott Ashley Cascone, 48, of Charleston, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for production of child pornography.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that on November 18, 2015, a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent working undercover in a chat room observed an individual with the user name “unclebaddy” post a web link that contained a child pornography video. The IP address matched the residence of Cascone. During the investigation, HSI agents also learned that Cascone was being investigated by the West Virginia State Police for having online sexual communications with a 14-year-old West Virginia girl. Follow up investigation by HSI determined that on three occasions Cascone enticed the minor to produce sexually explicit images of herself, and to text the images to Cascone. HSI agents ultimately executed search warrants on Cascone’s residence and Dropbox account and found numerous images and videos of child pornography. Cascone was interviewed and admitted to electronically sending sexually explicit images of himself to the minor and receiving sexually explicit images of the minor.

Senior U.S. District Judge Margaret B. Seymour sentenced Cascone to 300 months in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision.  Judge Seymour also ordered Cascone to pay $27,500 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.

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.

The case was investigated by HSI and the West Virginia State Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean H. Secor prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Samuel Sturkie Jackson, Jr., 51, of Pelion, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for defrauding individual investors out more than three million dollars.

“When taxpayers invest their hard-earned money in a business, they have every right to expect that no one will rob them,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “Samuel Jackson did exactly that, and stole millions. With the thorough work of our state and federal partners, this Office brought him to justice and he will spend several years in federal prison and has been ordered to make restitution to his victims.”

“The U.S. Secret Service remains focused on bringing those who commit financial crimes to justice,” said John Hirt, Special Agent in Charge of the Columbia Field Office for the U.S. Secret Service. “In this instance, Samuel Jackson turned his investors into victims, betraying their trust to carry out his own embezzlement scheme.  I commend our partners at SLED and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts working alongside the U.S. Secret Service personnel that investigated this case in order to bring some justice to the victims in this scheme.”

“White-collar crime costs all of us,” said South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) Chief Mark Keel. “SLED agents and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to defraud others.”

Evidence presented to the Court showed that, while operating an Automated Transaction Machine (ATM) business called Little Giant ATM, Jackson solicited investments from individual investors and promised them a monthly rate of return.  The purpose of these investments was to load cash into the ATM machines, with anticipated profits from transaction fees.  However, from 2015 to 2019, Jackson converted money from the business and investor deposits to his own use, spending the money on farm equipment, cars, and trips to Las Vegas.  Through this scheme, Jackson defrauded Little Giant ATM investors of over $3.4 million.

United States District Judge Terry Wooten sentenced Jackson 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. Jackson was also ordered to pay $3.4 million in restitution.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and SLED. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Book Andrews prosecuted the case.

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA  James Thomas Bramlette, 42, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was sentenced to more than five years in federal prisons after pleading guilty to wire and tax fraud.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that Bramlette and his co-conspirators raised over $10 million from investors to develop Melrose Resort on Daufuskie Island, knowing the resort was in dire financial condition and subject to foreclosure by the original lender.  Bramlette and his co-conspirators repeatedly told investors their funds were being used to develop the resort when, in reality, the funds were used to pay the original lender not to foreclose, pay previous investors, and to pay employees, utilities, and taxes at the resort. Bramlette also used at least $1.8 million from investors for personal use and to live a lavish lifestyle.

“Mr. Bramlette’s prison sentence reflects the seriousness of his offense and the United States Attorney’s Office’s dedication to deterring fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs.  “This office will continue to prosecute those who cheat their fellow citizens and steal federal tax dollars.”

Concerning the wire fraud charge, in September 2016 Melrose Resort owed more than $500,000 in past due property taxes. The Beaufort County Treasurer’s Office notified Bramlette that the resort would be auctioned at a tax sale if the property taxes were not paid. In order to prevent the resort from being sold at the tax sale, Bramlette created a fake wire receipt that falsely represented that Melrose Resort had wired money to the Beaufort County Treasurer’s Office to pay the property taxes.

“Instead of being truthful about the continued financial problems at Melrose Resort, Bramlette defrauded investors and misled others who had interests in the property,” said Susan Ferensic, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “With this sentence, he will pay the consequences in prison and will no longer be able to continue his lavish lifestyle at the expense of those who put their trust in him.”

As to tax fraud charge, Bramlette was required to collect and pay federal payroll taxes from the wages of all employees at Melrose Resort.  Bramlette collected payroll taxes from the employees, but he failed to turn over these taxes to the IRS.  In total, Bramlette failed to turn over to the IRS approximately $1 million in payroll taxes.

"Employment tax evasion results in the loss of tax revenue to the United States Government.” stated Donald “Trey” Eakins, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Special Agent in Charge, Charlotte Field Office. "Failure to pay over withheld taxes is a serious offense. Corporate executives have a responsibility to withhold income taxes for their employees and then remit those taxes to the IRS. IRS Criminal Investigation will vigorously pursue anyone who collects these taxes and uses the funds for their own personal gain."

United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Bramlette to 63 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the IRS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower prosecuted the case.

FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Quinae Shamyra Stephens, 41, of Douglasville, Georgia, was sentenced to more than 18 years in federal prison after she was convicted by a jury for multiple charges relating to a multi-state identity theft and fraud ring she was running with her son. Specifically, Stephens was sentenced after being convicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; identity theft; aggravated identity theft; access device fraud; interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle; and felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that sometime before late August 2021, after abandoning a stolen U-Haul van nearly half a dozen states away from where it was due to be returned, Stephens decided to enlist her son, Deandre Copes, 23, also of Douglasville, on a multi-state criminal journey to Florida. With a loaded semi-automatic handgun in her waistband, Stephens travelled down the East Coast in a second stolen U-Haul van stocked with dozens of fraudulently obtained identities and the equipment necessary to steal more identities, make fake credit cards, and print bogus checks. Stephens was prohibited from possessing the firearm and ammunition due to four state felony convictions for fraud-related crimes, and she was on probation for two of these offenses when she committed the crimes in this case.

She was ultimately stopped by members of the Latta Police Department due to Stephens’s suspicious behavior when she stopped near a bank in Latta. A search of the van revealed more than a dozen identification documents – including several with Stephens’s picture in various names; a device for re-encoding credit cards with different account information; and more than 25 debit and credit cards, most in the name of individuals other than Stephens or her son.

Further forensics investigation by the Secret Service revealed that Stephens would download instructional material from the dark web related to credit card fraud and identity theft, and used software form the dark web to procure personally identifiable information. The laptop also contained instructional material and files that could be used to create fake banking websites to steal account information.

“Identity theft is a threat to every citizen, and the personal information of its victims can live on the dark web forever. The nearly two-decade federal prison sentence this Office sought and received showcases just how seriously we take these crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “Stephens’s conduct here was especially heinous. She was a four-time felon who enlisted her son in a multi-state fraud scheme involving stolen vehicles, false identities, the dark web, obstruction of justice, and a loaded weapon. I want to especially thank our local and federal partners who worked tirelessly to ensure the jury conviction and sentence in this case.”

“This case originated due to great police work by the Latta Police Department in identifying suspicious activity being conducted by the defendants in this case,” said John Hirt, Special Agent in Charge of the Columbia Field Office for the U.S. Secret Service. “We appreciate that the Latta Police Department then included the U.S. Secret Service in their investigation.  I commend the diligence and hard work of the Secret Service personnel involved in this investigation.  I also commend the great work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the District of South Carolina in prosecuting this case.  The sentence given in this case exemplifies that the U.S. Government takes the crime of identity theft seriously, and we will not tolerate people that lie, cheat, and steal.”

“The Defendant in the case receiving this sentence is a testament to what partnerships can accomplish: local and federal agencies working together for a common goal to protect innocent victims and bring wrongdoers to justice,” said C. Zane Bryant, Interim Cheif of Police for the Latta Police Department.

At her sentencing, Stephens received sentencing enhancements for being a leader in the criminal enterprise and for obstruction of justice. The Court also heard evidence that Stephens fraudulently obtained several Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in her name, and in the names of others. PPP loans consists of more than $640 billion in forgivable Government-backed loans to small businesses for payroll, mortgage interest, rent, and utilities as a result of COVID-19.

The Court rejected Stephens’s attempts to assert a sovereign citizen defense, which asserts that federal courts lack jurisdiction over individuals. The Court acknowledged this was a frivolous defense that has been rejected throughout the country.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Stephens to 224 months in federal prison, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. Stephens was also ordered to pay restitution to her victims. Stephens’s son, who testified at Stephens’s trial, was previously sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, Latta Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek A. Shoemake and Everett McMillian prosecuted the case.

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA —United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs will join Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco to participate in the 39th Annual National Night Out today as part of a department-wide effort to bring attention to events that build stronger communities.

Established in 1984 from a Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grant, the goal of National Night Out is to build relationships with and between communities and law enforcement. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, better places to live. In most areas of the country, the program culminates annually on the first Tuesday of August.

“I am honored to join our law enforcement partners and community members for National Night Out,” said U.S. Attorney Boroughs. “South Carolina is safer when police officers and the communities they protect see their common goals and build relationships.”

OPEN PRESS

National Night Out in the Greater Charleston Area

WHO: Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco and United States Attorney Boroughs will attend two National Night Out events in Charleston with both the Charleston Police Department and North Charleston Police Departments.

WHEN: Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022 approximately 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. EDT

WHERE: Eastside National Night Out with the Charleston Police Department at Mall Park 68 Columbus Street, Charleston, SC

North Charleston Police Department National Night Out at Riverfront Park 1061 Everglades Avenue, Charleston, SC

For information on National Night Out events in your community, visit https://natw.org/.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs announced that Brook Andrews has been named First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, the office’s second-ranking position.

Andrews is a career federal prosecutor with experience spanning criminal, civil, trial, and appellate matters across several duty stations within the U.S. Department of Justice. He most recently served the office as the Deputy Criminal Chief for the White Collar/General Crimes Section. In that role, Andrews oversaw the investigation and prosecution of federal crimes in South Carolina including all financial fraud, civil rights, human trafficking, and public corruption offenses. As a criminal prosecutor, Andrews handled a number of high-profile matters including the prosecution of former SCANA executives in the wake of the V.C. Summer Nuclear investigation. Before that, he spent several years litigating civil fraud and whistleblower cases, recovering millions of dollars for Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other federal programs. In addition to his primary duties as a prosecutor, Andrews has served for over five years as the Ethics Advisor for the district, and as an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Before returning to his hometown of Columbia in 2016, Andrews practiced law in Washington, D.C. for five years, beginning with his selection into the U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General's Honors Program and placement into the Environment and Natural Resources Division. As a DOJ Trial Attorney, Andrews spent several years representing the United States in cases around the country involving land use, water rights, and environmental regulations. Andrews then spent two years in private practice at a national law firm, representing states and cities around the country as outside counsel in complex civil fraud and consumer protection cases.

Before his litigation practice, Andrews served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Jean Toal of the South Carolina Supreme Court and U.S. District Judge Margaret Seymour for the District of South Carolina. While at the Supreme Court, Andrews also served as a Staff Attorney on the South Carolina Sentencing Reform Commission.

For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc.

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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA —Shakeam Marquise Backus, 27, Joey Qurrieven York, 23, and Jyqwon Antonio Woods, 34, all of Florence, were sentenced this week to multiple years in federal prison based on their convictions for federal firearms violations.  These cases were jointly investigated by the Florence Police Department (FPD) and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as part of an ongoing state/federal partnership to address violent crime in the Pee Dee.  These defendants were specifically selected for federal prosecution due to their connections with a local street gang.  

Backus was sentenced to 147 months in prison followed by a four-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and conspiring to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine.  Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing showed that during a traffic stop on March 28, 2017, he was caught with a stolen Glock, model 26, pistol loaded with 17 rounds of 9mm ammunition in an extended magazine.  He also had various drugs in his vehicle and attempted to flee on foot before being apprehended by officers from the Florence Police Department.  He was also found in possession of several firearms and other drugs during a July 10, 2020, search warrant executed by Florence County Sheriff’s Office deputies.  Backus was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to his prior felony convictions, which include burglary (2010), grand larceny (2010), strong arm robbery (2012), assault and battery, 1st Degree (2015), and distribution of crack cocaine (2016). 

York was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by a five-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Evidence presented at the hearing showed that on December 10, 2020, he was the subject of a traffic stop where he was found to be in possession of a stolen vehicle, a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 revolver, marijuana, a digital scale, and a black ski mask.  He was apprehended by officers from the Florence Police Department after a short foot chase.  York was also prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to his prior felony convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle and failure to stop for blue lights (2017), and he had several prior misdemeanor convictions for drug possession and driving offenses. 

Woods was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by five-year term of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Evidence at the hearing showed that Woods drew the attention of Florence Police Department officers on March 19, 2019, when he was seen putting a pill bottle in his pocket and then attempting to flee on foot.  He was apprehended and found to be in possession of an SCCY 9mm pistol loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition, oxycodone pills, crack and powder cocaine, cash, and a digital scale.  Woods was  prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to his prior felony convictions for possession of a stolen vehicle (2004) and conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine (2008), with the latter charge resulting in him being sent to federal prison for several years.  He also has prior misdemeanor convictions for drug possession, DUI, and resisting arrest. 

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced the defendants, all of whom have been in custody since the time of their arrests.  There is no parole in the federal system, and they will not be released until the service of their prison sentences is complete.

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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian, Lead Attorney for the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force, prosecuted the cases in close coordination with the Florence Police Department, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, and the 12th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. 

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Georgia man was sentenced to prison for participating in a scheme that defrauded the Medicaid programs in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia of more than $5 million, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Glenn Pair, 36, of Stonecrest, Georgia to 70 months in prison and two years of supervised release and ordered the defendant to pay a total of $5,078,444 as restitution.

U.S. Attorney King is joined in making today’s announcement by Adair Ford Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, Ryan K. Buchanan, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, Robert R. Wells, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, Charlotte Field Office (IRS-CI).

The criminal charges filed against Pair in federal court in the Northern District of Georgia and South Carolina were transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina in September and October 2021, respectively. In October 2021, Pair pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Medicaid fraud in connection with the three federal prosecutions. Pair also pleaded guilty to a money laundering conspiracy offense in the Western District of North Carolina. Today’s sentence resolves all three federal criminal actions against the defendant.

According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, Pair and his co-conspirator, Markuetric Stringfellow, owned and operated an after-school and youth mentoring program known as Do-It-4-The Hood Corporation (D4H). From January 2016 through November 2018, Pair and Stringfellow paid individuals to recruit at-risk youths, in particular children who were Medicaid eligible in North Carolina, for their D4H program. Once enrolled, children were required to submit urine specimens for drug testing. Pair and Stringfellow conspired with certain laboratories to perform the drug testing of the enrolled children’s urine specimens and received kickbacks once the laboratories were reimbursed by the North Carolina Medicaid. In 2017, Pair moved to Georgia, and he and Stringfellow expanded the fraudulent scheme to defraud the state’s Medicaid program.

The South Carolina scheme involved Wrights Care Services LLC (Wrights Care), a qualified provider of Medicaid rehabilitative behavioral health services in South Carolina.  Pair and Stringfellow became owners of a Wrights Care franchise in Columbia, South Carolina.  Starting in or around 2014, Pair and Stringfellow defrauded the South Carolina Medicaid program by filing fraudulent claims for mental health counseling or other services that were either not provided, partially provided, or did not qualify for Medicaid reimbursement. Pair and Stringfellow submitted falsified patient billing records and fake medical notes to support the fraudulent reimbursement claims filed. After learning there was a Medicaid audit for Wrights Care, Stringfellow attempted to deceive South Carolina Medicaid auditors. In or about March 2015, Stringfellow met other associates of Wrights Care in Columbia for a “note party.” During this gathering and in Pair’s presence, the co-conspirators created false and fraudulent billing records to substantiate previously-submitted fraudulent Medicaid claims, forged signatures, and falsified records subject to the audit, which they then submitted to South Carolina Medicaid auditors in response to the audit.

Over the course of the scheme, Pair, Stringfellow and their co-conspirators submitted thousands of fraudulent claims to Medicaid of the three states totaling over $17 million and received over $5 million in fraudulent reimbursements. In addition, they received $1.8 million in kickbacks from the laboratories that participated in the conspiracy.

Pair is currently released on bond. He will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. Stringfellow was sentenced in February 2021 to 78 months in prison and was ordered pay $5,278,550 in restitution for his role in the scheme.

In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in South Carolina and the Northern District of Georgia, the FBI in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, and the Medicaid Investigations Division in the three states for their investigative efforts and coordination throughout case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael E. Savage and Graham Billings of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case, assisted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jermaine Sellers with the Medicaid Fraud Investigation Division of the N.C.

Also assisting in the prosecution of this case was Assistant United States Attorney Brook B. Andrews from the Columbia, South Carolina office.

 

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CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Bryce Carter Studebaker, 25, of Moncks Corner, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for production of child pornography.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that on March 30, 2018, Studebaker, then an Airman in the U.S. Air Force and stationed at Beale Air Force Base in California, communicated on Facebook Messenger with a 14-year-old minor who lived in Tennessee. During the messaging, Studebaker persuaded the minor to produce videos and images of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and to send the videos and images to Studebaker. Authorities discovered the conduct after responding to a call from the minor’s mother who said her daughter had been communicating with an online predator.

United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Studebaker to 180 months in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

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.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OIS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean H. Secor prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —Ernest Durane Mack, a/k/a “Marcus Mack,” 35, of Cayce, has pleaded 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 traffic stop on St. Andrews Road in Columbia on a vehicle driven by Mack after recognizing it to be a vehicle he had attempted to stop a week earlier for a traffic violation, but which fled during the chase. After stopping the vehicle, Mack exited and fled on foot. Officers located Mack in a nearby apartment complex breezeway and observed him with a handgun, which he then threw towards the officers. Mack advised officers that he fled 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 counts), forgery, possession of a controlled substance, and criminal domestic violence 1st degree (2 separate counts). 

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

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 U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes is prosecuting the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a 15-count indictment against Deveon Antonio Belk, 35, of Lexington, charging felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, seven counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and seven counts of brandishing a firearm in connection with a crime of violence.

The indictment alleges that between November 9 and November 16, 2020, Belk robbed seven Columbia-area businesses at gunpoint, including Dollar General, Family Dollar, Wendy’s, SKS Mart, and CVS.  The indictment alleges that Belk brandished a firearm at each victim business, where he stole money and merchandise. The indictment also charges he was a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and that he possessed a Ruger 9mm pistol and 9mm ammunition in connection with his conduct.

Belk faces a maximum penalty of up to Life in prison.  He is currently detained pending his arraignment in federal court in Columbia on August 9, 2022, at 10:00 A.M. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paige J. Gossett.

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 FBI, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington County Sheriff’s Office, Columbia Police Department, Irmo Police Department, and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels 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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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA —Stanley J. Kowalewski, 50, of North Carolina, has pleaded guilty to mailing threatening communications to a United States District Court Judge.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that following a federal jury trial in the Northern District of Georgia, Kowalewski was convicted on 22 counts related to a fraud scheme and sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison.  While serving that sentence in a prison in South Carolina, a federal judge received a letter that threatened to cause the women close to the judge to disappear if the judge did not grant all pending compassionate release motions, or motions for a reduction in sentence and release from prison, by a certain date.  Specifically, the letter stated:

“Judge [Redacted],

You have failed to do the right things. Now you make us do this. You will grant ALL pending motions in your court for compassionate release by July 2nd, 2021 at 3:00 PM or earlier. They are all to be reduced to time served with NO supervised release.  They will be immediate release from prison and no delays. If not, then we will begin to disappear the women closest to you. We know where they live, work, or go to school. If you try to alert the authorities, we will know and your loved ones will disappear. Do your job and everyone will be happy and you’ll never here from us again.

A.C.B.”

The day before the threat was mailed, an individual visited Kowalewski in prison. During that visit, Kowalewski provided that person two envelopes, one inside the other, and told that person to handle the interior envelope with gloves, to not get fingerprints on the envelope, to not ask questions, and to place it in the mail.  A recorded prison call from Kowalewski to the visitor revealed that Kowalewski directed the person to hurry up and mail the letter. 

The investigation also revealed that there was no other inmate at Kowalewski’s facility who was sentenced by the victim judge or court.  The letter was mailed across state lines and delivered to the victim judge.  At the time of the threat, Kowalewski had a compassionate release motion pending before the victim court.

Kowalewski faces up to 10 years in federal prison, which can be ordered to be served consecutive to his current sentence. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of court-ordered supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  Chief United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Kowalewski after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and agencies in the Northern District of Georgia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels is prosecuting the case.

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