District of South Carolina

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — The U.S. Attorney's Office is sponsoring the 19th Annual Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Logo Contest. The statewide contest invites students to illustrate how we can help prevent gun violence in our schools by designing a logo for use on upcoming PSN publications.

The contest is open to all South Carolina grade school students and entries will be categorized into four grade divisions: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. A winner will be selected from each of the four divisions, and each division winner will receive $50. An overall winning logo will be chosen from the four division winners and will receive an additional $50 prize for a total of $100.

The winning entries will be selected by “The Insiders,” a select group of students from the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, who travel throughout the state encouraging children and promoting community awareness of the consequences of juvenile crime. In addition to the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, the United States Attorney’s Office is proud to partner with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers’ Association and the South Carolina Sheriffs’ Association for this year’s contest.

Entries should be consistent with the theme “Preventing Gun Violence in Our Schools.” The deadline for submissions is April 1, 2022. If your student is interested in participating, contact your local school as contest information has been sent to all South Carolina schools. Applications and contest rules may also be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/programs/ceasefire/project-sentry/contest-winners/contest-rules.

PSN focuses on reducing violent crime in our communities through enforcement, reentry, and prevention initiatives. The annual logo contest is an important prevention initiative that has proven to be an effective way to engage our students in meaningful conversation about preventing gun crimes amongst our young people and ensuring a safe learning atmosphere for our children. For more information on the contest and to view winning logos from previous years, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/sc/programs/logowinners.html.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina announced today the launch of a Planning and Implementation Guide designed to provide a framework to assist those who work with victims, and to help them effectively support survivors and victims’ families through the preparation, planning, and implementation phases of such high-profile cases.

The Guide is the result of a collaborative effort among the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina and the National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center (NMVVRC), located within the National Crime Victims Research & Treatment Center at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Following the hate-motivated mass killings of nine parishioners at the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston on June 17, 2015, and the trauma caused to the entire Church and Charleston community, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina managed a trial involving 33 federal charges, including 12 charges specific to hate crimes.  The office learned that the coordination of multiple entities – prosecutors, victim services staff and their allies in the community, including mental and behavioral health professionals, and multi-faith communities – was essential to ensuring that survivors and community members were treated with dignity and respect.  The Guide is a culmination of learned experiences from that trial and many important evidence-based resources provided by the NMVVRC.

“Tragically, our state has experienced the horrific and lasting impact of mass violence incidents in the Mother Emanuel Massacre, and the resulting complexities in investigating and prosecuting such crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis “We are hopeful that this resource will be a useful tool for federal and state prosecutors and their victim services staff in supporting the multi-faceted needs of victims and survivors of those impacted by mass violence incidents.”

“Our focus with this important Guide is to make sure that victims’ needs are identified and addressed,” said NMVVRC Director Dr. Dean Kilpatrick. “The experiences of my team – who supported the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office on the Mother Emanuel AME trial in 2016 – and a foundation of a strong evidence-base of what helps and avoids hurting victims and survivors during criminal justice processes, is the essence of the Planning and Implementation Guide for Comprehensive, Coordinated Victim Assistance for Mass Violence Incident Trials.”

A copy of the Guide is available here.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — Justin De Neko Cunningham, 27, of Rock Hill, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl.

Evidence presented to the court showed that, through an investigation into a major drug trafficking organization, the organization obtained fentanyl and other drugs from a source in California and had the drugs shipped to various addresses in Rock Hill and Charlotte, North Carolina. Members of the organization would then produce counterfeit Roxicodone pills containing fentanyl.  Federal agents learned that Cunningham was responsible for purchasing and selling thousands of these counterfeit pills, fully aware the pills purchased and sold by him were made with fentanyl.  The pills were later sold by Cunningham in Rock Hill, Myrtle Beach, and Charlotte.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Cunningham to 180 months in federal prison, to be followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

This sentencing is part of a major 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.

Assistant United States Attorneys William K. Witherspoon, T. DeWayne Pearson, and Elliott Daniels prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — David Cortez Marshall, Jr., 30, of Orangeburg, South Carolina pleaded guilty today to defrauding the Orangeburg County School District of over $550,000. 

“Any time an employee uses a position of trust to steal from their employer, it is inexcusable and wrong. Here, Marshall’s crime was particularly reprehensible because he stole money, provided by South Carolina taxpayers, from a school district during a pandemic that has already created unprecedent challenges in public education,” said United States Attorney Corey Ellis. “I appreciate the work of the FBI in bringing this defendant to justice. This office will continue to prosecute those who try to use the pandemic, or any other circumstance, to enrich themselves at the expense of hard-working taxpayers and critical institutions.”

“Throughout the pandemic, individuals like Marshall have created schemes and exploited programs designed to aid the public,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Columbia Special Agent in Charge Susan Ferensic. “Unfortunately, Marshall misused his position to commit fraud against a school district and line his own pockets. I’m thankful for the extensive work that was put into investigating this case. Let this serve as a reminder that we will not tolerate this criminal activity, and we will hold those involved accountable.”

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Marshall, a former media communications specialist employed by the Orangeburg County School District, created a scheme to defraud the district while purchasing remote learning cameras for school classrooms.  Through the use of shell companies, fabricated documents, forged signatures, and a false identity, Marshall steered the district’s purchasing contracts to companies he created and controlled, purchased the cameras, then sold them to the school at a substantial markup.  Marshall also received funds from the school district for the cameras that he never paid to the seller.  Through his scheme to defraud, Marshall received more than $550,000 in illegal proceeds.  His scheme was eventually discovered by other school district employees, who confronted Marshall and reported the matter to the FBI for further investigation.

Marshall faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison for wire fraud, in addition to restitution, a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  United States District Judge Mary G. Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Marshall after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brook Andrews.

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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — United States Attorney Corey F. Ellis announced today that a federal grand jury in Florence returned an indictment in connection with a kidnapping and carjacking that began in Florence and ended with the successful recovery of the victim and arrest of the suspected kidnapper in Lumberton, North Carolina.  

Specifically, Joseph Alan Wright, a/k/a “Wiz”, 39, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, was charged with one count of kidnapping and one count of carjacking.

As charged in the indictment and an associated criminal complaint filed with the court, on December 21, 2021, Wright abducted his victim, a pastor at the Immanuel Baptist Church in Florence, at knifepoint at approximately 10:20 a.m. According to the complaint, Wright forced the pastor into his vehicle located in the church parking lot and then left at a high rate of speed.

Almost immediately, employees at Immanuel Baptist Church realized that something was wrong and contacted the police. Attempts to contact the pastor on his cell phone were unsuccessful, so the Florence Police Department began attempts to locate him through various other electronic means, including obtaining information from OnStar, cell phone providers, and bank card use records.  The complaint further states that officers also promptly reached out to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for additional assistance upon discovering that a kidnapping had occurred. 

Through these efforts, officers swiftly located the stolen vehicle in Lumberton, North Carolina, at approximately 12:09 p.m. – less than two hours after the incident began.  Florence Police officers communicated this information to the Lumberton Police Department, who sent officers to locate the vehicle, rescue the pastor, and arrest Wright, all without incident. 

“At its core, the mission of this office is to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the people of South Carolina and elsewhere. The complaint and indictment here illustrate that when we do that, we can save lives,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis. “The swift, collaborative work of the Florence Police Department, the Lumberton Police Department, and the FBI likely prevented an even greater tragedy.”

“This incident, as traumatic as it was for the victim, could have turned out much worse,” said FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge Susan Ferensic. “Thankfully, our local partners with the Florence Police Department and law enforcement in North Carolina were quick to respond and safely brought this situation to an end.  The FBI along with other law enforcement partners will continue to root out violent offenders who place others in harm’s way.”

“We want to take this opportunity to thank our federal law enforcement partners for seeking this indictment,” said Chief Allen Heidler of the Florence Police Department. “It serves as another notice to violent offenders that this area’s law enforcement, from the federal level down to the local level, will continue our collaborative efforts to bring them to justice.”

Wright faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. Wright, who is currently in federal custody at the Florence County Detention Center as a result of the federal criminal complaint previously filed against him in this case, will be arraigned by a United States Magistrate Judge at the McMillan Federal Courthouse in Florence on February 3, 2022, at 2:30 p.m. 

The case was investigated by a joint team consisting of the Florence Police Department, the Lumberton Police Department, and the FBI.  Assistant United States Attorneys Everett E. McMillian and Lauren Hummel are prosecuting the federal case in close coordination with the 12th Circuit Solicitors’ Office.

The United States Attorney stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — United States Attorney Corey F. Ellis announced today that Dashawn Terrell Swygert, 27, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Evidence presented to the court showed that in early 2020, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted an investigation into firearms within the Columbia area. During this investigation, undercover ATF agents were introduced to Swygert, a validated gang member. During four transactions in February 2020, he sold six handguns, many of which were loaded and one of which had an extended magazine, to undercover ATF agents. During the investigation, Swygert bragged to others that he was selling guns to individuals who were running them up north. Upon his arrest in March 2020, agents recovered another loaded firearm.

Of the seven handguns recovered from Swygert by ATF, four had previously been reported as stolen. Three were previously stolen from vehicles in Richland and Newberry Counties. One of the handguns, sold by Swygert to undercover agents in February 2020, was also preliminarily linked through ballistics analysis as having been involved in three shooting incidents: a shooting incident on December 12, 2019, in West Columbia and shooting incidents in Columbia on December 14, 2019, and January 16, 2020. It should be noted that there was no evidence linking Swygert himself to the actual shootings.  

Swygert has prior state convictions for strong arm robbery from a 2011 incident and criminal conspiracy, strong arm robbery (4 counts), assault and battery 2nd degree (4 counts), from a 2013 incident.

United States District Court Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Swygert to 151 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. In imposing the sentence, Judge Lewis noted, “This is the kind of activity that makes a community dangerous . . . gangs and guns.”

This investigation by the ATF, Columbia Police Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Midlands Gang Task Force was made possible by 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.

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

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — United States Attorney Corey F. Ellis announced today that Sean Michael Bandelier, 44, of Gaston, was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to the production of child pornography.

Evidence presented in court showed that Bandelier coerced a minor child under six years old to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing photographs and videos of the abuse, which Bandelier then distributed by text message and the internet. Evidence indicated Bandelier was communicating with a person he believed was the mother of a child in another state making her child available for sexual abuse. The pair discussed past and potential future abuse of multiple children.  In truth, Bandelier was speaking with a man in New Mexico who was a target of authorities in that state for offenses related to the sexual abuse of children.  During their conversations, Bandelier distributed photographs and videos of the sexual abuse of children to the New Mexico target.

On August 5, 2020, investigators with the South Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force at the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department received a lead indicating a victim may be in immediate danger of being abused.  Search warrants and the arrest of Bandelier were executed that same day, with the assistance of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other federal and local agencies.  Bandelier was charged by way of Criminal Complaint and has remained in custody since that time. 

Bandelier ultimately pled guilty to the production of child pornography. Facts presented at sentencing also provided evidence that Bandelier formatted a phone as law enforcement approached, likely destroying evidence, for which the court enhanced Bandelier’s sentence for obstruction of justice.

United States District Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Bandelier to 324 months in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. The court also ordered Bandelier to pay restitution to one victim, and Bandelier will have to register as a sex offender after release.

The case was investigated by HSI, the South Carolina ICAC Task Force at the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, and the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.

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

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — United States Attorney Corey F. Ellis announced today that a federal grand jury in Columbia returned a multi-count indictment in connection with trafficking in seasonal agricultural workers.

Elizabeth Balcazar, 19, Enrique Balcazar, 35 – both of Batesburg – and Balcazar Nature Harvesting, LLC have been charged with conspiracy to commit labor trafficking and fraud in foreign labor contracting. Elizabeth Balcazar and Enrique Balcazar have also been charged with the confiscation of passports and immigration documents in connection with labor trafficking.  Enrique Balcazar has also been charged with two counts of labor trafficking.

“Our nation’s visa system is an asset that provides much-needed resources to our communities and valuable opportunities to those foreign workers seeking a new life here in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis. “Although the indictment speaks for itself, those who exploit the system and abuse these vulnerable workers will find no refuge here in South Carolina. Our office will utilize all available resources to bring such offenders to justice while rescuing and restoring victims in the process. Sadly, we know that many labor trafficking victims, both foreign and domestic, suffer here in the United States and that such violations frequently go undetected.”

“By targeting employers who exploit their workers, HSI is protecting the American labor market, the conditions of workplaces, and the dignity of the individual employees,” said Special Agent In Charge Ronnie Martinez, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operations in North Carolina and South Carolina. “We hope that cases like this will encourage other victims and witnesses to come forward to HSI to enable us to stop other employers from engaging in any similar conduct.”

“Labor trafficking and exploitation is real, and it is happening in South Carolina,” said South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) chief Mark Keel. “Agents have and will continue to work in collaboration with our local and federal partners to rescue those being victimized and bring justice to those who profit from the misery of others.”

The indictment alleges that Elizabeth Balcazar and Enrique Balcazar operated Balcazar Nature Harvesting, LLC, which provided seasonal harvesting labor to South Carolina area farms.  The indictment further alleges that the defendants forced victims to work excessive hours, failed to pay the victims their due wages, and threatened deportation for those who did not work hard enough or produce enough.  The indictment also alleges that the defendants attempted to restrain the victims by confiscating their passports and by carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm. The indictment also indicates there are multiple victims.

Elizabeth Balcazar and Enrique Balcazar face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, plus court ordered supervision to follow, and each of the defendants face a fine of up to $250,000. Elizabeth Balcazar and Enrique Balcazar are currently detained pending trial.

The case was investigated by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, HSI, SLED, and U.S. Department of Labor.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Carrie Fisher Sherard are prosecuting the case. 

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

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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — United States Attorney Corey F. Ellis announced today that five individuals were sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty for their role in a drug conspiracy out of the Chesterfield County and Darlington County areas.

• Antwaun Tyree Stevenson, 30, of Hartsville, was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of crack cocaine.

• Jevetta Porschia Young was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

• Leon Davis, Jr., 50, of Hartsville, was sentenced to nearly 9 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of cocaine base.

• Clint Justin Self, 23, of Hartsville, was sentenced to over 7 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• McKenzie Michael Stevens, 23, of Hartsville, was sentenced to over 5 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Evidence presented to the court showed that as to Stevenson, twelve individuals gave statements that they bought or observed Stevenson in possession of methamphetamine, cocaine, and crack cocaine during January 2010 to November 2020.

As to Young, 15 individuals gave statements that they bought from or observed Young in possession of methamphetamine during January 2010 to November 2020.

As to Davis, 18 individuals gave statements that they bought methamphetamine from Davis during January 2010 to November 2020, and at least one individual stated they bought cocaine and crack cocaine from Davis during that same time period. In addition, the Darlington County Drug Enforcement Unit used a confidential informant to make two controlled buys of methamphetamine from Davis in August of 2020.

Additional evidence presented to the court showed that on July 10, 2020, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and officers with the Hartsville Police Department used a confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine from Self. Following the buy, officers conducted a traffic stop on the car Self was driving. During the stop, the female passenger, who was the registered owner of the car, gave consent to search the car. During the search, officers located a firearm. Self later admitted that he possessed the firearm during the drug buy that occurred earlier that day. Self is prohibited from possessing firearms based on his prior conviction for distribution of methamphetamine.

As to Stevens, on September 18, 2019, the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a storage unit company in Hartsville regarding finding a backpack with suspected narcotics in a storage unit. Stevens had contacted the company to pick up the bag, and was advised to pick up the bag from the main office. When Stevens arrived, he was arrested and admitted the bag and methamphetamine inside was his.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced all five individuals. Stevenson was sentenced to 142 months in federal prison, Young was sentenced to 142 months in federal prison, Davis was sentenced to 105 months in federal prison, Self was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison, and Stevens was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison. United States District Judge Lydon sentenced all five individuals to a five-year term of court-ordered supervision following their release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the ATF, the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, the Darlington County Drug Enforcement Unit, the Hartsville Police Department, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florence 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 Lauren Hummel prosecuted the case.

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FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — United States Attorney Corey F. Ellis announced today that co-defendants Michael Anthony Dudley, 43, of Hartsville, and Lindsey Munn Butler, 36, of Lamar, were sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to drug-related charges. Dudley pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Butler pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on July 28, 2020, the Darlington County Drug Enforcement Unit used a confidential informant to make a controlled purchase of heroin from Dudley at a location in Hartsville. On August 7, 2020, the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant during which law enforcement located a firearm, a baggie containing 3.947 grams of heroin, and ten baggies, three of which were confirmed to contain heroin. The firearm and narcotics were found in Dudley’s bedroom. 

Additional evidence presented to the court showed that on August 6, 2020, the Darlington County Drug Enforcement Unit used a confidential informant to make a controlled purchase of heroin from Butler also at a location in Hartsville.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Dudley to 81 months in federal prison, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision, and sentenced Butler to 10 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Darlington County Drug Enforcement Unit.  

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 Lauren Hummel prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — United States Attorney Corey F. Ellis announced today that Stephen Johnson Craft, 43, of Lexington, was sentenced to fifteen years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Evidence presented to the court established that on February 24, 2020, a deputy with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department observed a vehicle abruptly turn without signaling. The deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop and the vehicle abruptly turned into a private driveway. Craft was the passenger in the vehicle and stated the vehicle belonged to him.

In the backseat of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the deputy located a black backpack containing a .40 caliber Glock pistol. The Glock had one cartridge loaded in the chamber and a magazine containing an additional nine rounds. The deputy also found marijuana in the vehicle.

Craft’s prior record includes a 1996 criminal domestic violence, a 1997 armed robbery, a 2008 grand larceny, a 2010 criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, a 2010 attempt to manufacture methamphetamine, a 2014 carrying a concealed weapon, a 2016 possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a violent felony, a 2016 possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and a 2018 assault and battery first degree.

United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Craft to 180 months in federal prison, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department 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.

Special Assistant United States Attorney Casey Rankin Smith of the 11th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — United States Attorney Corey F. Ellis announced today that twelve individuals have been charged with gun and/or drug-related offenses and have been arrested by a joint team of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This release follows the arraignments, multiple detention hearings, and superseding indictments. 

The following defendants who have been arrested and arraigned on their respective charges face a potential penalty of life imprisonment:

• Craig Thomas Burris, 55, of Myrtle Beach, is charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, possession of heroin and fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Taurus Jermaine Dotson, 38, of Columbia, is charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon; possession with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Leon Johnny King, 37, of Columbia, is charged with possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon; possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and Etizolam; possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Jamel Lamont Lewis, 32, of Winnsboro, is charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Christopher Joel Roach, 28, of West Columbia, is charged with possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon; possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and tramadol; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Jacobi Kwejuan Scott, 33, of Columbia, is charged with possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Davian Kejuanis Mosley, 21, of Hopkins, is charged with multiple counts of robbery affecting commerce and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

The following defendant who has been arrested and arraigned on his respective charges faces a potential penalty of 20 years imprisonment: 

• Jeffrey Tavoun Allen, 35, of Columbia, is charged with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and fentanyl.

The following defendants who have been arrested and arraigned on their respective charges face a potential penalty of 10 years imprisonment:

• Paul James, III, 33, of Columbia, is charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.

• Demetreus Alexa Lewis, 32, of Elgin, is charged with possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon.

• Latrell Ira Miles Maurice, 35, of Columbia, is charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.

• Sylivon Jarqaous Moye, 28, of Columbia, is charged with possession of firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon.

These cases were investigated by ATF in conjunction with several state and local law enforcement agencies, including the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department, Orangeburg Department of Public Safety, and Columbia Police Department.

These cases are being 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 Attorneys Chris Taylor and Lauren Hummel are prosecuting the cases.

The United States Attorney stated that all charges against these defendants are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — United States Attorney Corey F. Ellis announced today that Bridgett Dorsey, 39, of Blythewood, was sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to engaging in more than $1.2 million in fraud related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, and to committing tax fraud. The sentence is the first handed down in the District of South Carolina for a case involving CARES Act fraud.

“The Defendant in this case not only stole from the federal government and engaged in tax fraud, but she prevented funds from reaching the hands of those who needed it the most. That this occurred during a pandemic makes her crimes particularly egregious,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis. “This case highlights the Department of Justice’s commitment to prosecuting those who illegally take advantage of COVID-19 to line their own pockets. Fortunately, the quick and capable work of our federal partners permitted the recovery of a substantial amount of stolen funds.”

"It is always a shame to see the rampant abuse of programs designed to help ordinary people struggling through the pandemic," said Brian Thomas Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Charlotte Field Office. “The IRS will continue to thoroughly investigate and vigorously target those who exploit the pandemic to commit tax fraud, and this case speaks to those efforts.”

“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration aggressively pursues those who attempt to defraud the American public by fraudulently obtaining taxpayer-funded loans through the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Paycheck Protection Program which is designed to assist legitimate business owners during the pandemic,” said J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure this criminal activity is held to account.”

The CARES Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020 designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the Coronavirus. Two primary sources of relief provided by the CARES Act were the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan ("EIDL") program. PPP loans consisted of more than $640 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for payroll, mortgage interest, rent, and utilities. The EIDL program provided low-interest loans to business owners to pay for items like accounts payable and other bills that could not be paid as a result of COVID-19.

Evidence presented to the court showed that from April 2020 through August 2020, Dorsey fraudulently applied for and received $1,253,460.35 by way of seven EIDL and two PPP loans, along with two EIDL cash advances, on behalf of seven businesses for which she was the alleged owner. Each of the applications Dorsey submitted contained materially false information, including overstating the businesses’ revenues, inflating the number of employees, or providing addresses where businesses did not exist. In some cases, Dorsey created and submitted false documentation or created businesses for the sole purpose of obtaining the loans.

During their investigation into Dorsey’s Coronavirus-related fraud, agents with the IRS and TIGTA discovered Dorsey had also been engaged in fraudulent tax return preparation through one of her businesses, Virtual Financial Services. Specifically, Dorsey prepared multiple tax returns on behalf of others and claimed deductions she knew were false.

The quick work of IRS and TIGTA enabled the agencies to seize more than $500,000 of stolen funds that were in bank accounts controlled by Dorsey, and another account with approximately $130,000 was frozen. These funds will be applied toward the restitution Dorsey owes in the case. Additionally, Dorsey paid approximately $184,000 in restitution before sentencing.

Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Dorsey to 24 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 court also ordered her to pay more than $1 million in restitution stemming from her CARES Act-related fraud, in addition to $13,865 in restitution to the IRS as a result of her tax fraud.

The case was investigated by the IRS and TIGTA. Assistant United States Attorney Derek Shoemake, who also serves as the Office’s Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator, prosecuted the case.

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.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina today commemorates National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, as part of the 11th annual National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and affirms its continued commitment to work with federal, state, and local partners in combatting human trafficking in all its forms. 

“Human trafficking is nothing short of modern-day slavery. It strips away the most fundamental promises of our country – life, liberty, and the right to be free,” said U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis. “Traffickers prey upon the vulnerable and push them into forced labor or commercial sex. That is why the fight against human trafficking is one of this office’s top priorities, and we must do everything in our power to bring swift prosecution against traffickers and to seek justice for survivors. We will work with our federal, state, and local partners to relentlessly pursue, prosecute, and punish those who exploit the most vulnerable in our society.”

Along with the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina is committed to continuing its victim-centered, trauma-informed approach to detecting hidden human trafficking crimes, holding perpetrators accountable, and restoring the lives of survivors, all while strengthening strategic anti-trafficking partnerships. 

Federal agencies in the District of South Carolina, in conjunction with state and local partners, have investigated hundreds of leads linked to sex and labor trafficking in the last year alone. These investigations have resulted in numerous federal and state human trafficking prosecutions. Some of the major human trafficking cases brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the last year include the following:

• United States v. Elizabeth Balcazar, Enrique Balcazar, and Balcazar Nature Harvesting, LLC. Criminal No. 3:21-cr-834-JMC.  According to the indictment, on December 7, 2021, a federal grand jury sitting in Columbia indicted the defendants on five counts related to forced and exploitative labor, including labor trafficking, conspiracy to commit labor trafficking, the confiscation of passports in connection with labor trafficking, and fraud in foreign labor contracting.  The indictment describes the manner and means by which the defendants are alleged to have exploited foreign national seasonal laborers in South Carolina farms, including by force and threats of force, serious harm and threats of serious harm, by forcing laborers to work excessive hours, by underpaying workers, by threatening deportation, and through the use of a firearm. The defendants remain detained pending the outcome of the case.

 

• United States v. Earl Dawson Caldwell IV, Cedrick Ventiego Riley, and Jessica Michelle Mills.  Criminal No. 9:21-cr-317-DCN. According to the indictment, on October 2021, a federal grand jury sitting in Charleston charged the defendants in a multi-count superseding indictment alleging conspiracy to sex traffic minors, production of child pornography, multiple counts of sex trafficking of a minor, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  The defendants remain detained pending the outcome of the case.

 

• United States v. Hart William Grow, Theodore Woolings Bye III, Sanadin Mohamed Elrayes, and Charles Joseph Spillane. Criminal No. 4:21-cr-173-SAL. According to the indictment, in July 2021, a federal grand jury sitting in Florence charged the defendants in a 13-count superseding indictment alleging conspiracy to sex traffic minors, sex trafficking of minors, conspiracy to coerce a minor and to produce child pornography, four counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, four counts of production of child pornography, and two counts of possession of child pornography. The defendants have all plead guilty to related charges, including human trafficking, coercion of a minor, and transfer of obscene materials.

 

• United States v. Brian Lydell Robinson, a/k/a “Mr. Marshal,” a/k/a “Trevor.” Criminal No. 2:21-cr-211-RMG.  According to the indictment, in April 2021, a federal grand jury sitting in Charleston charged Robinson in a multi-count indictment alleging human trafficking, impersonating an officer of the United States, extortion, and Hobbs Act extortion. The defendant remains detained pending the outcome of the case. 

 

• United States v. Gary Garland, Shannon Garland, Johnnie Wells, Michael Skelton, Duwone Allen, Glen Whitcomb, Kianna Dailey, and John Towery.  Criminal No. 8:20-CR-452-DCC.  According to the indictment, in April 2021, a federal grand jury sitting in Greenville charged the defendants in a multi-count superseding indictment alleging conspiracy to sex traffic minors, conspiracy to produce child pornography, sex trafficking of a minor, and production of child pornography.  All defendants have plead guilty to related charges involving conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor.

 

• United States v. Donnell Salethian Woodard a/k/a “Tank” and India Tykeyah-Najee Cuyler a/k/a “Lady Tank.” Criminal No. 3:18-cr-308-JMC. In February 2021, following a conviction of conspiracy to sex traffic minors and benefiting from sex trafficking of minors, Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia sentenced Woodard to 25 years in federal prison.  In March 2021, following a conviction of using a facility of interstate commerce to entice a minor under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity, Judge Childs sentenced Cuyler to more than 15 years in federal prison.  Both sentences will be followed by 15 years of court-ordered supervision and the defendants will be required to register as a sex offenders.

 

• United States v. Brian Leroy Watson and Ryan Darian Grover. Criminal No. 3:20-cr-492-JMC.  According to the indictment, in January 2021, Grover was arrested as the second defendant in a 13-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury sitting in Columbia that charged human trafficking conspiracy, human trafficking and attempted human trafficking of involving both a minor and adult victims, heroin and fentanyl distribution, and the operation of a drug-involved dwelling. The defendants remain detained pending the outcome of the case.

In cases where a defendant has not pled guilty or has not otherwise been convicted, the charges in the indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

During this, the 11th annual National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina reaffirms its commitment to combatting the heinous crime of human trafficking, holding perpetrators accountable, and seeking justice for survivors. To report a tip or ask for help, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA — In honor of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, Jan. 9, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina recognizes the hard-working men and women in law enforcement for the sacrifices that they make on a daily basis to protect the citizens of this State and Country.

“Every day, law enforcement officers put on their uniforms and leave the safety of their homes to protect and serve our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis.  “These officers risk their lives to make South Carolina safer, and indeed many have made the ultimate sacrifice. We appreciate their sacrifices, owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude, and stand with them as they do their important work.” 

Although COVID-19 currently hinders our ability to appropriately recognize our law enforcement partners in person, U.S. Attorney Ellis invites the public to follow the Office’s Twitter page at https://twitter.com/USAO_SC, where we will be sharing stories throughout January about the work our law enforcement partners do in their communities. U.S. Attorney Ellis also encourages the public to do what they can to recognize the efforts of their local law enforcement officers.

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CONTACT PERSON:   Derek Shoemake, Public Information Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, derek.shoemake@usdoj.gov, (843) 327-0882

Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Corey F. Ellis  announced today that Quentin John Fishburne, a/k/a “Q”, 40, of Walterboro, was sentenced to more than 23 years in federal prison after a jury convicted him on numerous firearms charges, including two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of conspiracy to make false statements in connection with the purchase of a firearm.

Evidence presented to the jury showed that in March of 2018, Officers with the Walterboro Police Department discovered a loaded .40 caliber pistol under Fishburne’s seat at a traffic safety checkpoint. At the time, Fishburne was on federal supervision following a 2017 conviction for aiding and abetting attempted murder in aid of racketeering. This conviction arose from a November 6, 2015, shooting in Colleton County, in which members and associates of a violent Walterboro gang disputed the outcome of an illegal car race and then attempted to rob a man holding money wagered on the race. Two men were shot, but authorities were not able to identify all of the shooters. Fishburne admitted to being an associate of the gang and driving another gang member from the scene of the shooting and received a time-served sentence. 

Shortly after Fishburne was arrested with the .40 caliber pistol, his girlfriend, who had purchased the pistol from a Walterboro gun store, claimed that she had inadvertently left the gun in the vehicle Fishburne was driving. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) became suspicious, however, when they discovered that Fishburne had previously been arrested with another gun purchased by the same woman.

Additionally, ballistic analysis showed that the gun discovered under Fishburne’s seat matched three .40 caliber shell casings recovered from the scene of the November 6, 2015, shooting involving the gang, the same shooting that led to Fishburne’s 2017 conviction.

Fishburne was also convicted of possessing another firearm purchased by the same girlfriend, which was recovered by deputies of the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office following a high-speed chase involving Fishburne in 2014. In this incident, Fishburne fled from deputies and reached speeds of over 90 miles-an-hour on country roads while he and his passenger brandished handguns at the pursuing officer.

Fishburne previously spent ten years in a Georgia prison after killing his 18-year-old cousin over a dice game when he was 14 years old.     

United States District Judge David Norton sentenced Fishburne to 285 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. Fishburne’s trial was the last federal jury trial in Charleston before the COVID pandemic halted federal jury trials in the low country until the fall of 2021.

Judge Norton observed that Fishburne’s history of violence and recidivism was “consistent with statistics recently published by the U.S. Sentencing Commission” showing “that firearms offenders recidivated at a higher rate than all other offenders.” The Court concluded that a “substantial sentence” was “warranted to protect the public” from Fishburne and to “deter others” who “may follow his unfortunate path.”

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

This case was also made possible by investigative leads generated from 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

Assistant United States Attorney Chris Schoen and Special Assistant United States Attorney Carra Henderson prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Corey F. Ellis as Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina today, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546.

As U.S. Attorney, Ellis is the chief federal law enforcement officer responsible for federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States in the District of South Carolina. He supervises an office of approximately 62 Assistant United States Attorneys, 75 support staff, and 18 contract support staff, all of whom are responsible for prosecuting federal crimes affecting the district, including narcotics and firearms cases, gang violence, human trafficking, white-collar crime, securities fraud, public corruption, terrorism, and civil rights violations. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.

Before being sworn in as U.S. Attorney, Ellis served as chief of staff for FBI Director Christopher A. Wray. Ellis also served as acting director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, where he was the primary liaison between the attorney general, the deputy attorney general, and all 94 U.S. attorney's offices.

Previously, Ellis served in several leadership roles in the Department of Justice, including as chief of staff to Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein. Ellis was also the first assistant in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. While an assistant U.S. attorney, he handled a wide range of criminal investigations, including public corruption, white collar fraud, securities fraud, and cybercrime. Ellis began his career as a prosecutor in the district attorney’s office in Hendersonville, North Carolina and has tried more than 100 jury trials.

Ellis received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his law degree from the University of Memphis School of Law.

Ellis replaces former Acting U.S. Attorney M. Rhett DeHart, who served in that role since March 1, 2021, following the resignation of U.S. Attorney Peter M. McCoy, Jr.

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

Charleston, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Edmund Dechane Holmes, a/k/a “Buddha SME,” 30, of Georgetown, has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin.  Holmes’s case had been scheduled for trial in January 2022 until the change of plea this week.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that in the months leading up to August 2018, Holmes maintained an apartment in Columbia for the purpose of storing and distributing kilogram quantities of heroin.  Authorities learned of his scheme after responding to a call about a disturbance at the address.  Once there, officers from the Columbia Police Department obtained a search warrant based upon a small amount of drugs that were found in plain view. 

During the search of a back bedroom, they located approximately 1.9 kilograms of black tar heroin along with other drug distribution paraphernalia such as a kilogram-size drug press, bulk money packaging supplies, and items used for mixing and cutting drugs. Holmes left behind several items proving his identity and acquired a renter’s insurance policy on the unit in his own name. 

At the time of search, Holmes was serving a five-year term of federal supervised release after having recently been released from prison after serving a five-year sentence for a 2013 federal conviction for distribution of heroin. Holmes now faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

“Those who continue to push poison in their communities after serving prison sentences for these crimes deserve swift and severe punishments. That will happen in this case, and this office will continue to aggressively prosecute repeat offenders,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “I commend our federal and state partners who helped make sure Holmes will spend at least a decade in federal prison, and who seized lethal drugs that would otherwise have ended up on the streets of South Carolina.”

“The severe punishment Holmes faces correctly reflects the criminal activities he engaged in,” said Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Field Division. “He continuously poisoned the community with heroin despite having been arrested previously for heroin distribution. The guilty plea removes yet another dangerous criminal from our streets and sends a clear message to others who may be tempted to distribute this insidious drug: DEA and its law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue and ultimately prosecute criminals like Holmes.”

In addition to a mandatory minimum of 10 years, Holmes faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. He also faces a fine of $10,000,000, at least five years of additional supervision to follow the term of imprisonment, and restitution. United States District Judge David C. Norton accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Holmes after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

The case was investigated by the DEA, with assistance from the Columbia Police Department and Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Everett McMillian and Whit Sowards are prosecuting the case.  

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Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that a Federal Grand Jury in Columbia returned an indictment against a North Carolina man accused of carjacking two people last December. Shia Lee, 33, of Burlington, North Carolina, was charged on December 7 with carjacking and brandishing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

The indictment alleges that on December 19, 2020, Lee brandished a firearm and stole a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee from two people at a rest area outside of Orangeburg, one of whom was an off-duty law enforcement officer.

According to the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, Lee later abandoned the vehicle in Branchville and stole a 2014 Dodge Caravan that was left running outside a convenience store.  Lee led law enforcement officers on a vehicle pursuit and was subsequently taken into custody.  The victims in these incidents were not injured.

“Lee’s alleged actions placed his victims, law enforcement officers, and the public in great danger,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Columbia Special Agent in Charge, Susan Ferensic.  “The quick action taken by our law enforcement partners was vital in helping us put together this case for indictment.”

The case was investigated by the FBI, Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, City of Bamberg Police Department, Branchville Police Department, City of Laurens Police Department, and Denmark Police Department 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott Daniels.

If convicted, Lee faces a mandatory minimum of seven years in prison and up to life imprisonment, plus a fine of up to $250,000 and up to five years of court ordered supervision to follow any term of imprisonment. Lee will be arraigned before a United States Magistrate Judge on December 21 at 10:45 a.m. in Courtroom 7 of the Matthew J. Perry Courthouse in Columbia.

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

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Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Kenyada Jaqu, 45, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than 30 years in federal prison after a three-day trial in October 2020 where a jury found him guilty of drug- and firearm-related crimes. Jaqu’s trial was the first criminal trial in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evidence presented by the Government during the trial established that on March 11, 2019, Jaqu was a passenger in a car stopped by a deputy with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, the deputy located several suspected controlled substances.  Later that day, law enforcement searched a hotel room and a residence associated with Jaqu, where they found two firearms, additional suspected controlled substances, and drug paraphernalia. Additional investigation revealed that Jaqu’s drug trafficking activities stretched back at least as far as March, 2015. Federal law prohibits Jaqu from possessing firearms due to prior state felony convictions for attempted strong armed robbery, distribution of heroin, and possession of heroin.

The jury ultimately found Jaqu guilty of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin and methamphetamine, conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of firearms, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. 

United States District Judge Michelle Childs, who presided over the trial, sentenced Jaqu to 388 months in federal prison, to be followed by an eight-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department. 

Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuted the case.

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Charleston, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart, announced today that Joseph Roberto Major, 33, of North Charleston, was sentenced to thirteen years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on November 22, 2017, Major was arrested at a North Charleston night club after pointing a gun at a woman and threatening to “blow her head off.” Club security restrained Major and recovered a Glock from his waistband. Responding officers searched Major’s car and discovered multiple bags of pills that ultimately tested positive for methamphetamine. Major was also charged with being a felon-in-possession of a firearm in connection with a separate incident at the same club in January of 2017.

On June 23, 2021, Major pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in connection with the November 2017 incident. Major has a long criminal history, which includes prior convictions for distribution of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, unlawful carrying of a pistol, possession of drug paraphernalia, and multiple convictions for disorderly conduct.

United States District Judge David Norton sentenced Major to 156 months in federal prison, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and North Charleston Police Department 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 United States Attorney Chris Schoen prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that a Federal Grand Jury in Columbia returned a multiple-count indictment in connection with the production of fraudulent COVID-19 Vaccination Record Cards, the first such criminal prosecution in the District of South Carolina.

Tammy McDonald, 53, of Columbia, was charged in a three-count indictment with two counts of producing fraudulent COVID-19 Vaccination Record Cards and one count of lying to federal investigators about her role in producing the cards.

“Although the indictment speaks for itself, creating fraudulent or fake vaccine cards for those who have not been vaccinated poses a direct threat to the health of the people of South Carolina,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “I want to thank our federal and state partners for their quick work in acting on this matter. This office will continue to prosecute fraud related to the Coronavirus in all its forms, and this case speaks to those efforts.”

“The indictment alleges McDonald defrauded and endangered the public by creating and distributing fake COVID-19 vaccination cards. Engaging in such illegal activities undermines the ongoing pandemic response efforts,” stated Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General. “We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate individuals who are exploiting the pandemic and people for personal gain.”

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, the FBI and its partners have been at the forefront of investigating crimes involving fraudulent COVID-19 schemes,” said Susan Ferensic, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Columbia Field Office.  “Producing fraudulent vaccination cards is a serious matter and is not taken lightly.  Anyone leading or participating in this type of activity should know there will be consequences.”

The indictment alleges that McDonald, who worked as the Director of Nursing Services at a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in Columbia, produced the fraudulent vaccine cards on June 20, 2021, and July 28, 2021. The indictment further alleges that on October 22, 2021, McDonald was questioned by federal agents with HHS and FBI and lied by stating she did not have access to COVID-19 Vaccination Record Cards and that she never produced a false or inaccurate vaccine card. The indictment alleges this was false because she had personally filled out vaccine cards for individuals she knew had not received a COVID-19 vaccine.

McDonald, who has pleaded not guilty on all three charges, was arraigned today by a United States Magistrate Judge in Columbia. She was granted a $10,000 bond. McDonald faces up to 15 years in prison for each count of producing a fraudulent COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, and five years in prison for lying to federal investigators.

The case was investigated by HHS and FBI, with assistance from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek A. Shoemake, who also serves as the District’s Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator, is prosecuting the case.

Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that McDonald is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that brothers Abrian Dayquan Sabb, 26, of Orangeburg, and Darius Bernard Sabb, 23, of Georgetown, were sentenced today in federal court after pleading guilty to offenses related to making false statements to a federal firearms dealer during the purchase of a firearm. Abrian Sabb was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, and Darius Sabb was sentenced to three years probation.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on the morning of April 10, 2019, Abrian Sabb, while armed with a loaded AR-15 semi-automatic rifle with a high-capacity magazine, entered the emergency room of The Regional Medical Center in Orangeburg and began shooting in the hallway. A nurse was struck by a bullet to the chest, causing serious bodily injuries. Law enforcement responded and arrested Abrian Sabb at the scene, charging him with various state charges. Upon learning of the incident, Darius Sabb went to local law enforcement and advised that he had purchased the firearm for his brother.

The investigation revealed that the day before, April 9, 2019, Abrian Sabb had been involved in a domestic argument at his residence, which resulted in law enforcement responding and confiscating his handgun. Later that day, Abrian Sabb asked his brother, Darius Sabb, to go with him to a local firearms dealer to purchase him another firearm. Abrian Sabb provided his brother money and requested that he buy an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle with a 100-round magazine and two boxes of ammunition for him. Darius Sabb falsely filled out the ATF 4473 form attesting that he was the actual purchaser of the firearm and bought it.

Immediately upon leaving the firearms dealer’s store, Darius Sabb turned the items over to Abrian Sabb. Later that day, Abrian Sabb’s girlfriend called Darius Sabb and complained about him purchasing the firearm for Abrian Sabb as she indicated she was fearful. Darius Sabb then retrieved the rifle and hid it at another person’s home. However, the next morning, Abrian Sabb found out where the firearm was located, kicked in the front door of the residence, and retrieved the firearm. Later that morning, he and his girlfriend traveled to the medical center to seek help for his mental illness. At some point, he left the medical center, went to his vehicle, returned with the firearm, and began shooting.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Abrian Sabb to 84 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. She sentenced Darius Sabb to three years’ probation with 180 days of home detention and GPS location monitoring. State court charges related to the shooting remain pending in Orangeburg County against Abrian Sabb, and he is innocent of those charges unless proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office 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 United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes prosecuted the case.

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Charleston, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Roudy Pierre-Louis, 49, a citizen of Haiti and former State Department employee, was sentenced to more than a year in federal prison after pleading guilty to committing Wire Fraud.

Evidence presented to the court showed that from 2015 through August 2018, Pierre-Louis was an employee of the State Department who worked at the Embassy of Haiti as the sole budget analyst for the Security Coordination Office (SCO). In this role, Pierre-Louis was responsible for managing all lines of accounting for the State Department and Department of Defense (DoD) associated with the SCO, which included per diem cash advances for individuals travelling to United States Southern Command events. Pierre-Louis also was designated as the SCO’s Occasional Money Holder, allowing him to receive cash on behalf of other individuals who did not have full access to the Embassy in order to obtain cash advances for travel expenses, including, but not limited to, per diem, lodging, and air fare.

The Embassy maintained a vault, or “cash cage,” from which cash advances could be disbursed to employees providing documentation of supervisory approval. This cash cage was reconciled on a daily basis, as cash on hand along with approved disbursements were required to be reconciled and approved by a financial officer with the State Department in order to balance and replenish the cash supply.

Beginning in 2015 and continuing through at least August 2018, Pierre-Louis submitted fraudulent vouchers and supporting documents for cash advances in the names of Haitian Nationals that contained forged signatures of requesting and approving DoD supervisors.

Unaware of this fraud, the Department of State released these cash funds to Pierre-Louis, which were subsequently reimbursed by the Department of Defense. During the relevant time period, from 2015 to August 2018, Pierre-Louis embezzled at least $156,950 from his wire fraud scheme.

United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Pierre-Louis to 12 months and one day in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision, and ordered that Pierre-Louis pay full restitution in this case. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the State Department Office of Inspector General’s Charleston, South Carolina Field Office, and the Major Procurement Fraud Unit of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command.

Assistant United States Attorney Allessandra Stewart prosecuted the case.

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Washington, D.C. --- On Nov. 8, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina entered a $9 million civil consent judgment for the United States against South Carolina chiropractor Daniel McCollum under the False Claims Act. On that same day, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina filed an information and plea agreement in which McCollum admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks and to defraud healthcare programs by billing for unnecessary medical services. The maximum criminal penalty McCollum could face is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. A sentencing date has not been set.  

McCollum owned and operated pain management clinics, laboratories and a pharmacy in South Carolina. He also operated pain management clinics in North Carolina and Tennessee. McCollum’s clinics did business collectively as Pain Management Associates. 

On May 31, 2019, the United States filed a civil complaint alleging that McCollum caused the submission of false claims to federal health care programs arising from kickbacks he paid for urine drug testing (UDT) referrals in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute; referrals prohibited under the Stark Law from physicians with whom McCollum had financial relationships; and claims for UDT and other services that were not medically necessary and that lacked a legitimate medical purpose.

On Oct. 29, McCollum agreed to resolve the government’s False Claims Act allegations, including admitting that he violated the Anti-Kickback Statute by providing kickbacks in the form of a direct bill program whereby his laboratory, Labsource, gave referring providers an opportunity to earn revenue generated from their commercially-insured UDT referrals as an inducement for those providers to refer all of their federally-insured UDT patients to Labsource. McCollum also caused medically unnecessary prescriptions for pain creams often without the knowledge or approval of the patients’ healthcare providers and regardless of whether the prescription had a legitimate medical purpose. McCollum admitted that the aforementioned conduct constituted misrepresentations, fraudulent omissions and/or deceptive conduct, and that he engaged in this conduct with an intent to deceive the United States and cause the United States to pay false or fraudulent federal healthcare program claims.

Congress passed the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute to prevent financial incentives from improperly influencing medical decision-making, which can lead to excessive and unnecessary tests and services. Among other things, the Stark Law prohibits billing Medicare for laboratory testing services referred by a physician who has a financial relationship with the laboratory. The Anti Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by federal healthcare programs, including laboratory testing services.

“Improper financial relationships between healthcare providers and laboratories can lead to overutilization and increase the cost of healthcare services paid for by the taxpayers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The provision of medical services and prescriptions should be based on a patient’s medical needs rather than the financial interests of providers.”

“This office will use all tools necessary to ensure justice, deterrence and prevention of healthcare fraud,” said Acting U.S. Attorney M. Rhett DeHart for the District of South Carolina. “The criminal guilty plea and the civil consent judgment entered against the defendant in this case demonstrates that effort.”

“McCollum engaged in deceptive conduct by exploiting the vital programs on which they depend,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals who endanger the integrity of federal healthcare programs and the beneficiaries they serve.”

“The TRICARE Program is vital to the health and readiness of our active duty service members, retirees and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “Today’s announcement should leave no doubt that DCIS and its law enforcement partners remain committed to rooting out fraud, holding bad actors accountable and protecting the integrity of the Department of Defense.”

The civil judgment resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Donna Rauch, Muriel Calhoun, Brandy Knight and Karen Mathewson, all former employees of pain management clinics owned or operated by McCollum. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Rauch, et al. v. Oaktree Medical Centre, P.C., et al., No. 6:15-cv-01589-DCC (D.S.C.); United States ex rel. Mathewson v. Dr. Daniel A. McCollum, et al., No. 6:17-CV-01190-DCC (D.S.C.); and United States ex rel. Hawkins v. Pain Management Associates of the Carolinas, LLC, et al., No. 8:18-cv-02952-DCC (D.S.C.). In connection with this matter, the United States previously was awarded civil judgments totaling over $140 million against entities owned or operated by McCollum: Oaktree Medical Centre P.C., FirstChoice Healthcare P.C., Labsource LLC, Pain Management Associates of the Carolinas LLC, Pain Management Associates of North Carolina P.C., ProLab LLC and ProCare Counseling Center LLC.

The civil judgment and criminal plea obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between 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 FBI, HHS-OIG, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the DCIS.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare 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 litigation was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Yolonda Campbell, Michael Kass, Christopher Terranova and David Wiseman and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Beth Warren and Bill Watkins for the District of South Carolina.

Note: View a copy of the stipulation of settlement here.

Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Xanthus Nakia Murdaugh, 46, of Rock Hill, was sentenced to more than 11 and 1/2 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to an offense related to the attempted sexual exploitation of a child.

Evidence presented to the court showed that Murdaugh is a repeat offender, having a prior federal child pornography conviction and a prior state conviction for Solicitation of a Crime Against Nature. Murdaugh also admitted to the sexual abuse of numerous minors, including children in the foster system, for which he had never been held accountable.

Evidence presented in court further showed that on November 6, 2019, Murdaugh communicated with undercover law enforcement on a social media application that allows users anonymously communicate with other users. On that same date, Murdaugh began speaking with who he was told was a mother who needed help with her children.  After Murdaugh was told the mother had a 13-year-old daughter, he indicated an interest in having sex with the minor. With condoms and lubricant, Murdaugh drove to a residence where he was told the 13-year-old minor would be present. Murdaugh was arrested that night and has remained in custody since that time. Murdaugh ultimately pled guilty to the attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. 

United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Murdaugh to 140 months in federal prison, near the top of his advisory guideline range, to be followed by a 10-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security (HSI), York County Sherriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Secret Service, South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.

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.

Columbia, South Carolina --- The Department of Justice today announced more than $139 million in grant funding through the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). The awards provide direct funding to 183 law enforcement agencies across the nation, allowing those agencies to hire 1,066 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. In the District of South Carolina, three communities were awarded funding totaling just over $1.4 million.

“We are committed to providing police departments with the resources needed to help ensure community safety and build community trust,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The grants we are announcing today will enable law enforcement agencies across the country to hire more than 1,000 additional officers to support vitally important community oriented policing programs.”

“These grants highlight the Department of Justice’s commitment to law enforcement resources here in South Carolina,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “This Office enjoys strong relationships with our local law enforcement partners, and we support their important work. These funds will mean nearly a dozen additional officers in these communities.”

The following communities in South Carolina received awards:

• City of North Myrtle Beach, $750,000;
• Williamsburg County, $422,804; and
• Town of Yemassee, $229,782.

CHP is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing. CHP provides funds directly to law enforcement agencies to hire new or rehire additional career law enforcement officers, thereby increasing their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Of the 183 agencies awarded grants today, approximately half will use the funding to focus on building legitimacy and trust between law enforcement and communities; 41 agencies will seek to address high rates of gun violence; 21 will focus on other areas of violence; and 19 will focus CHP resources on combating hate and domestic extremism or supporting police-based responses to persons in crisis. The complete list of awards can be found here. ‘

Since its creation in 1994, COPS has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and Tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 135,000 officers. CHP, COPS’ flagship program, continues to be in demand today: In FY21, COPS received 590 applications requesting nearly 3,000 law enforcement positions. For FY22, President Biden has requested $537 million for CHP, an increase of $300 million.

To learn more about CHP, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/chp-award. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit https://cops.usdoj.gov/.

The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. The only Department of Justice agency with policing in its name, the COPS Office was established in 1994 and has been the cornerstone of the nation’s crime fighting strategy with grants, a variety of knowledge resource products, and training and technical assistance. Through the years, the COPS Office has become the go-to organization for law enforcement agencies across the country and continues to listen to the field and provide the resources that are needed to reduce crime and build trust between law enforcement and the communities served.

Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Leonard Earl Mitchell, 30, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Evidence presented to the court showed that after officers with the City of Columbia Police Department received a report of shots fired on Two Notch Road, they located nine spent shell casings in a parking lot. In reviewing the surveillance footage, officers saw an unknown person discharge two rounds from a car in the direction of Mitchell as he was exiting a business. After getting in a parked car, Mitchell retrieved a firearm and discharged ten rounds at the passing car and fled.

A City of Columbia police officer was able to identify Mitchell as a person involved in the shooting from a prior encounter, in addition to Mitchell’s distinctive facial tattoos.  When Mitchell was arrested, he had a 9mm pistol that matched the shell casings found in the parking lot.

Mitchell had previously been convicted of several felony offenses, including failure to stop for blue lights, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, assault and battery second degree, distribution of marijuana, assault and battery first degree, possession of methamphetamine/cocaine, and carrying or concealing weapon by an inmate. As such, Mitchell is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Mitchell to 90 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and City of Columbia Police Department. 

The case was prosecuted as part of the 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 United States Attorney William K. Witherspoon and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Bales prosecuted the case.

On Nov. 8, the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina entered a $9 million civil consent judgment for the United States against South Carolina chiropractor Daniel McCollum under the False Claims Act. On that same day, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina filed an information and plea agreement in which McCollum admitted to engaging in a conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks and to defraud healthcare programs by billing for unnecessary medical services. The maximum criminal penalty McCollum could face is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. A sentencing date has not been set.   

McCollum owned and operated pain management clinics, laboratories and a pharmacy in South Carolina. He also operated pain management clinics in North Carolina and Tennessee. McCollum’s clinics did business collectively as Pain Management Associates.  

On May 31, 2019, the United States filed a civil complaint alleging that McCollum caused the submission of false claims to federal health care programs arising from kickbacks he paid for urine drug testing (UDT) referrals in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute; referrals prohibited under the Stark Law from physicians with whom McCollum had financial relationships; and claims for UDT and other services that were not medically necessary and that lacked a legitimate medical purpose. 

On Oct. 29, McCollum agreed to resolve the government’s False Claims Act allegations, including admitting that he violated the Anti-Kickback Statute by providing kickbacks in the form of a direct bill program whereby his laboratory, Labsource, gave referring providers an opportunity to earn revenue generated from their commercially-insured UDT referrals as an inducement for those providers to refer all of their federally-insured UDT patients to Labsource. McCollum also caused medically unnecessary prescriptions for pain creams often without the knowledge or approval of the patients’ healthcare providers and regardless of whether the prescription had a legitimate medical purpose. McCollum admitted that the aforementioned conduct constituted misrepresentations, fraudulent omissions and/or deceptive conduct, and that he engaged in this conduct with an intent to deceive the United States and cause the United States to pay false or fraudulent federal healthcare program claims.

Congress passed the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute to prevent financial incentives from improperly influencing medical decision-making, which can lead to excessive and unnecessary tests and services. Among other things, the Stark Law prohibits billing Medicare for laboratory testing services referred by a physician who has a financial relationship with the laboratory. The Anti‑Kickback Statute prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by federal healthcare programs, including laboratory testing services.

“Improper financial relationships between healthcare providers and laboratories can lead to overutilization and increase the cost of healthcare services paid for by the taxpayers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The provision of medical services and prescriptions should be based on a patient’s medical needs rather than the financial interests of providers.”

“This office will use all tools necessary to ensure justice, deterrence and prevention of healthcare fraud,” said Acting U.S. Attorney M. Rhett DeHart for the District of South Carolina. “The criminal guilty plea and the civil consent judgment entered against the defendant in this case demonstrates that effort.”

“McCollum engaged in deceptive conduct by exploiting the vital programs on which they depend,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals who endanger the integrity of federal healthcare programs and the beneficiaries they serve.”

“The TRICARE Program is vital to the health and readiness of our active duty service members, retirees and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “Today’s announcement should leave no doubt that DCIS and its law enforcement partners remain committed to rooting out fraud, holding bad actors accountable and protecting the integrity of the Department of Defense.”

The civil judgment resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Donna Rauch, Muriel Calhoun, Brandy Knight and Karen Mathewson, all former employees of pain management clinics owned or operated by McCollum. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Rauch, et al. v. Oaktree Medical Centre, P.C., et al., No. 6:15-cv-01589-DCC (D.S.C.); United States ex rel. Mathewson v. Dr. Daniel A. McCollum, et al., No. 6:17-CV-01190-DCC (D.S.C.); and United States ex rel. Hawkins v. Pain Management Associates of the Carolinas, LLC, et al., No. 8:18-cv-02952-DCC (D.S.C.). In connection with this matter, the United States previously was awarded civil judgments totaling over $140 million against entities owned or operated by McCollum: Oaktree Medical Centre P.C., FirstChoice Healthcare P.C., Labsource LLC, Pain Management Associates of the Carolinas LLC, Pain Management Associates of North Carolina P.C., ProLab LLC and ProCare Counseling Center LLC.

The civil judgment and criminal plea obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between 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 FBI, HHS-OIG, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the DCIS.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare 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 litigation was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Yolonda Campbell, Michael Kass, Christopher Terranova and David Wiseman and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Beth Warren and Bill Watkins for the District of South Carolina.

Charleston, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Micfo, LLC, a tech company located in Charleston, and its chief executive officer (CEO), Amir Golestan, 38, of Charleston, have both pleaded guilty to twenty counts of wire fraud. Specifically, both defendants pled mid-way through a federal trial after evidence presented in the case showed Golestan, acting through Micfo, created fictitious persons and companies to sell fraudulently obtained Internet address rights for millions of dollars.

“Corporate and executive malfeasance can be difficult to detect and even harder to prosecute, and this case is an excellent example of the success we can achieve in spite of this difficulty when we work with our federal and agency partners,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “This office greatly appreciates the hard work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) on this case. I want to especially recognize the efforts of ARIN’s Chief Customer Officer John Sweeting, General Counsel Michael Abejuela, and their outside counsel Steve Ryan and Sam Neel from McDermott Will & Emery LLP.”

“Corporate wrongdoers often avoid accountability by obscuring their criminal conduct through complicated business procedures or by operating in areas unfamiliar to most people,” said Criminal Chief Nathan Williams, who prosecuted the case alongside Assistant United States Attorney Amy Bower. “The world of Internet resources is one of those areas.  However, this case shows that the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with other agency partners, are capable of detecting complex crimes and prosecuting corporate and executive criminals.”

“Like many corporate fraud criminals often do, Golestan made the mistake of assuming his scheme would not be discovered,” said Susan Ferensic, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office.  “Make no mistake, the FBI along with our local, state, and federal partners, will work nonstop to uncover and pursue charges for criminals who adversely affect our Internet infrastructure.”

“ARIN is grateful for the hard work by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina and the FBI to hold Mr. Golestan and Micfo accountable for the complex fraud perpetrated against ARIN,” said John Curran, ARIN’s President and CEO.  “Mr. Golestan’s scheme harmed ARIN and our community of Internet registry customers, and we hope that this outcome will send a clear message to any other parties contemplating fraudulent schemes to obtain or transfer Internet resources”

Evidence presented during the trial showed that Golestan started Micfo in Charleston in 1999. The company represented itself as providing web hosting and other Internet-based services. From February 2014 until the federal indictment in this case in May 2019, Golestan, as CEO of Micfo, created ten separate and fictitious companies which he referred to as “Channel Partners.” The purpose of these Channel Partners was to obtain address rights to Internet Protocol (IP) version 4 addresses (IPv4) from ARIN.

IPv4 addresses are numerical labels assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet for communication.  ARIN is a nonprofit organization that administers IP address rights, allocations, and transfers in the United States, Canada, and parts of the Caribbean.  To obtain an IP address allocation from ARIN, per its policies, an entity must provide a need-based justification. ARIN’s pool of IPv4 addresses has been depleted so there has been an increasing demand, which has resulted in a secondary market where prices for a single IPv4 address have increased dramatically.

Golestan created the fictitious Channel Partners, which would sometimes include creating web pages and fictional employees, to make the companies look legitimate and meet ARIN’s need-based justification policies for allocation of IPv4 addresses. Golestan, using the fake companies, was granted the rights to hundreds of thousands of IPv4 addresses from ARIN worth tens of millions of dollars. Once Golestan had fraudulently obtained the IPv4 address rights, he began to sell those rights for millions of dollars.

As a result of his fraudulent scheme, Golestan pocketed approximately $3.5 million dollars, with another $6.2 million dollars waiting in escrow that would have went to Golestan had he not been caught. Although Golestan and his company initially went to trial, after two days and testimony from eight Government witnesses, both Micfo and Golestan pleaded guilty to all twenty counts of wire fraud without a plea agreement. 

Golestan faces of maximum penalty under each count of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, 3 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment, and restitution. Micfo, the company, faces a maximum fine under each count of $500,000. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence Golestan after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan Williams and Amy Bower are prosecuting the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Johnny Ray Kinsey, Jr., 46, of Gaston, was sentenced to more than twelve years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on June 15, 2018, a Trooper with South Carolina Highway Patrol responded to a vehicle hit and run call. After responding to the initial hit and run call, the Trooper then met with a Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office Deputy. The Deputy had stopped a vehicle, driven by Kinsey, that matched the description of the vehicle that failed to stop during the hit and run. Before leaving the hit and run scene, the Trooper picked up two pieces of plastic from a side mirror that he believed were from the suspect’s vehicle. After arriving on scene, the Trooper observed fresh damage to the side mirror of Kinsey’s vehicle. When the Trooper placed the pieces of plastic to the damage, it fit perfectly. Kinsey was arrested for driving under the influence and hit and run. An inventory search located over 400 grams of methamphetamine in a backpack under the driver’s seat of the vehicle.  

Kinsey’s prior record includes a 1996 criminal domestic violence, a 2003 criminal domestic violence, a 2008 criminal domestic violence second offense, a 2011 damage to property, a 2013 shoplifting, a 2014 manufacturing methamphetamine, and several probation violations.

Senior United States District Judge Henry M. Herlong sentenced Kinsey to 151 months in federal prison, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), South Carolina Highway Patrol, and the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office.

The case was prosecuted as part of the 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.

Special Assistant United States Attorney Casey Rankin Smith prosecuted the case.

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Charleston, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that federal inmate George Hall was convicted following a jury trial in federal court for charges stemming from a violent prison attack. Hall’s trial marks the first federal criminal jury trial in Charleston since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in March of 2020.

Evidence presented by the Government during the trial established that Hall attacked another inmate from behind with a homemade prison weapon constructed from a prison belt and a metal combination lock. Hall repeatedly struck the victim in the head and face with this weapon and stood over him beating him after he fell to the ground. The victim was ultimately able to flee, but not before suffering numerous lacerations, a fractured skull, and a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Prison officials found the victim bleeding in his cell after following a trail of blood from the scene of the attack. The victim survived but was hospitalized for multiple nights and suffered temporary hearing loss and permanent scarring from the assault.

Video footage of the attack showed that the victim never struck Hall or fought back, and he testified that he had never even spoken to Hall prior to being assaulted. At the time of the attack, Hall was serving a 25-year prison sentence for the attempted murder of a U.S. Postal carrier in Florida in 1993. The jury took less than an hour to find Hall guilty on all charges, including assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to cause injury and assault resulting in serious injuries.

United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel presided over the trial and will sentence Hall after receiving and reviewing a pre-sentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office.  Hall faces up to ten years in federal prison.   

Citing the advice of medical professionals, the court implemented special procedures to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Masked jurors were seated in the gallery to allow for social distancing, while the prosecution and defense attorneys sat facing one another in the center of the courtroom between the jury and the judge.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart and Assistant United States Attorney Chris Schoen tried the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Aaron Shawayne Griffin, 29, of Aiken, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison after pleading guilty to felon in possession of ammunition and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on September 5, 2018, a deputy with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department stopped Griffin for speeding. As the deputy approached the passenger side of the vehicle, he could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.  During a search of the vehicle, deputies located a backpack containing a large amount of cash, over 800 grams of methamphetamine, and two firearm magazines loaded with .40 caliber ammunition and 9mm ammunition. 

Griffin’s prior record includes a 2010 simple possession of marijuana and resisting arrest and a 2015 misprision of a felony.  Griffin is a validated gang member and was on probation at the time of the offense.

United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Griffin to 120 months in federal prison, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.

The case was prosecuted as part of the 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.

Special Assistant United States Attorney Casey Rankin Smith prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that seven criminal defendants have pleaded guilty to charges related to a Medicaid fraud conspiracy arising from the false billing of behavioral health services for children.

The defendants are all former owners, employees, or business associates of Wrights Care Services, LLC, a North Carolina-based provider of rehabilitative behavioral health services.  Today’s guilty plea of former owner Daniel Wright marks the seventh guilty plea in the case, the result of a years-long investigation and prosecution led by the United States Attorney’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in cooperation with the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.

“Health care fraud will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “It is a betrayal of public trust and diverts scarce resources from Americans who need health care coverage.”

“For several years, Wright and the other defendants took advantage of Medicaid, which benefits over one million low-income South Carolinians,” said Susan Ferensic, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office.  “Healthcare fraud continues to be at the forefront of crimes our office investigates, and this case should serve as an example to individuals and businesses that these schemes will not be tolerated.”

“Not only did this fraud scheme steal millions of dollars from our hardworking taxpayers, it took that money away from legitimate programs to help children who needed it,” South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said. “This case is another example of the close and productive working relationship our office has with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI and I want to commend them for their diligence in this case.”

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that, in 2014, Wrights Care Services was approved by South Carolina Medicaid to provide behavioral health services.  Wrights Care maintained associated franchise locations throughout South Carolina, including Columbia, Spartanburg, Pickens, Cheraw, Society Hill, Bennettsville, Hartsville, and Conway.  From its inception, Wrights Care Services failed to provide qualified behavioral health services to the children in its care.  Nevertheless, in order to receive payment from Medicaid, members of the conspiracy submitted inflated bills and false medical records.  In the case of one franchise, members of the conspiracy began billing Medicaid for services before the franchise opened its doors.

In 2015, South Carolina Medicaid sought to audit Wrights Care Services, and members of the conspiracy met in Columbia at a “note party” to forge signatures and falsify records to support the audit.  During the course of the scheme, Wrights Care and its affiliated franchises submitted bills to Medicaid in the amount of $6,657,810.43.

The following defendants have pleaded guilty so far: 

• Daniel Wright, 39, of Greensboro, North Carolina
• Glenn Pair, 35, of Baltimore, Maryland
• John David Zachariah Wallace, 40, of Sugar Land, Texas
• Kathleen Dubose, 54, of Greensboro, North Carolina
• Sherel Lawson, 47, of Summerfield, North Carolina
• Latasha Bethea, 37, of Fayetteville, North Carolina
• Tonya Strickland Hall, 47, of Greensboro, North Carolina

Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States.  Each defendant also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and 3 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  United States District Judge Mary G. Lewis accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing presentencing reports prepared by the United States Probation Office.

This case was investigated by Special Agents Neil Power and Mark McMahon of the FBI, and Assistant Attorney General Brent Yandle and Assistant Chief Investigator Jamie Seales of the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Brook Andrews is prosecuting the case.

#####

Florence, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Shamar Jabarns McCollum, 24, of Myrtle Beach, was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on July 1, 2020, officers from the Myrtle Beach Police Department Street Crimes Unit and Patrol located McCollum in Myrtle Beach and placed McCollum under arrest for an outstanding warrant. During a search of McCollum incident to arrest, officers located a digital scale and two wax slips containing heroin and fentanyl.

Chief United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced McCollum 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.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Myrtle Beach Police Department Street Crimes Unit and Patrol. 

Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel prosecuted the case.

# # # # #

Florence, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Brandon Paul Wallace, 33, of Florence, was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on June 19, 2018, agents from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division as well as an officer from the Florence Police Department arrested Wallace on an outstanding arrest warrant at a residence in Marion. Following Wallace’s arrest, law enforcement searched the area where Wallace was arrested and located two loaded firearms. Federal law prohibits Wallace from possessing firearms and ammunition because of his prior felony convictions for voluntary manslaughter, possession of a stolen vehicle, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.

United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr. sentenced Wallace to 52 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Florence Police Department, and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

The case was prosecuted as part of the 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 United States Attorney Lauren Hummel prosecuted the case.

# # # # #

Charleston, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Darryl Blunt, 59, Ayla Courvoisie, 31, and Teresa Cooper, 60, all of Charleston, were sentenced for their respective roles in a case involving fentanyl that caused the death of a victim. Specifically, Blunt was sentenced to 20 years in prison for distributing fentanyl that caused a death, Courvoisie was sentenced to 12 years in prison for distributing fentanyl that caused a death and wire fraud, and Cooper was sentenced to probation for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that Blunt distributed fentanyl to Courvoisie, and Courvoisie, in turn, distributed the drugs to the victim, who died from the drugs. Courvoisie then contacted Blunt, who provided Courvoisie with other individuals who eventually helped Courvoisie move the victim’s body. Courvoisie stole the victim’s bank cards and used them around Charleston. After the overdose, and while Blunt was in jail, Blunt directed Cooper to obtain his gun for him, which they both were prohibited from possessing. Additional evidence presented at the sentencing showed that Blunt had a significant criminal history.

United States District Judge David C. Norton sentenced Blunt to 240 months in federal prison, and Courvoisie to 144 months, both to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. Cooper was sentenced to 24-months probation.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force, North Charleston Police Department, and Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Schoen prosecuted the case.

#####

Columbia, South Carolina – Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Tony Lee Covington, 50, his wife Priscilla Covington, 51, and his sisters Vanessa McPhaul, 56, and Mary Moses Covington, 51, all of Raeford, North Carolina, were sentenced for conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a scheme to defraud South Carolina Medicaid of over $3.6 million.

According to evidence presented during the defendants’ guilty plea and sentencing hearings, the family members founded two companies, Preferred Care Incorporated and Saving Grace Outreach. The two companies claimed to provide rehabilitative behavioral health services to disabled, low-income individuals in South Carolina through the Medicaid program. Instead, between 2014 and 2016, the companies billed South Carolina Medicaid millions of dollars for “crisis intervention,” a service offered to individuals experiencing extreme emotional distress like suicidal thoughts or mental breakdowns.

During the hearings, the government indicated that despite the companies having fewer than 20 clients, they billed more in total for crisis intervention services than the entire South Carolina Department of Mental Health. Clients contacted by investigators indicated that while they had received some services from the companies, they never received any crisis intervention. Evidence in the case indicated that the services provided by the companies should have been billed at approximately $9.00 an hour, but by billing the services as crisis intervention, the companies were instead paid $67.88 per hour.

Although Medicaid instituted an audit of Preferred Care once the irregular billing was discovered, the family immediately started Saving Grace Outreach to continue the fraudulent billing practices.

“Stealing from agencies that serve those in distress is shameful, and illegal,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “This office worked with our partners in the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office to not only prosecute these defendants, but to put a stop to their illegal practices.”

“This case shows the great working relationship between our office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and illustrates how we use that cooperation to hold criminals accountable,” South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said. “This Medicaid Fraud Scheme enabled providers to steal millions of dollars from taxpayers, which means there’s less money available for people who actually need medical care.”

United States District Judge Mary Lewis sentenced Tony Covington to 51 months in federal prison, Priscilla Covington to 39 months in federal prison, Mary Covington Moses to 33 months in federal prison, and Vanessa Covington McPhaul to 33 months in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system. All defendants were given a three-year term of court-ordered supervision and ordered to repay $3,647,094.83 in restitution to South Carolina Medicaid.

The case was investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorney T. DeWayne Pearson prosecuted the case.

# # # # #

Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Darryl Ryan Bostick, 39, of Columbia, was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that, on December 1, 2016, Columbia Police Department received a tip indicating Vernon Wendell Griffin was selling drugs at a location in Columbia.  Officers with Columbia Police Department reported to the location, and observed Griffin drive a Ford Expedition to a nearby business.  Shortly thereafter, Bostick arrived as the passenger in a Chevrolet Cavalier.  Bostick exited the Cavalier and entered the passenger seat of Griffin’s Expedition.  As law enforcement approached, Bostick fled on foot.  Both vehicles were subsequently searched.  Law enforcement found approximately 26 grams of cocaine in the Expedition.  On the passenger floorboard of the Cavalier where Bostick had been sitting when he arrived at the scene, law enforcement found a hat containing approximately 104 grams of cocaine, 11 grams of cocaine base, and methadone pills.  A 9 mm handgun was located near the hat.

Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Bostick to 168 months in federal prison, to be followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Griffin, 54, also of Columbia, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and was sentenced to six months in federal prison with three years of court-ordered supervision to follow imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Columbia Police Department, and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuted the case.

#####

Florence, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett Dehart announced today that a joint team of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers arrested eight individuals who have all been charged, along with one other defendant, in federal court for their involvement in drug trafficking and firearms offenses in Florence.

The recent charges follow early-morning arrests on October 19 that were the result of a joint operation which represents a line of federal, state, and local authorities working in tandem to bring consequences to those who harm their communities. The multi-year operation has specifically targeted members and associates of several sets of a violent street gang in the region.

“This office has been clear: those who sow violence in South Carolina communities will be prosecuted,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “I want to especially thank the federal, state, and local agents who stepped into harm’s way to execute this operation. These types of cases target entire criminal organizations and help us keep communities safer.”

“The alleged actions detailed in these indictments are troubling and remind us how the combination of illegal narcotics and gun violence can cast a dark shadow over our communities,” said Susan Ferensic, Special Agent in Charge of the Columbia Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Field Office. “The FBI along with our local, state, and federal partners will continue to use aggressive approaches to identify, disrupt, and dismantle our most violent offenders and their criminal enterprises.”

“Law enforcement is never better than when we work in cooperation with other partners,” said Florence County Sheriff T.J. Joye.  “This operation is a prime example of how we can improve our communities when we work together.”

“This is just the beginning of our endeavor to reduce the illegal drug trade and violent crime by actively identifying criminal gangs and their membership for prosecution,” said City of Florence Chief of Police Allen Heidler. ”We pledge to continue in this diligent collaboration with our law enforcement colleagues to bring more illegal drug trade and violent crime offenders to justice, making our communities safe.”

The eight arrested defendants have been charged in several indictments with firearms offenses and trafficking various drugs, including crack, cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana.

Demetrius Cornelius Thomas, 34, of Florence, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and distribution of crack, and possession with intent to distribute crack, cocaine and heroin;

Delonta Nathaniel Brown, 35, of Florence, is charged with conspiracy to distribute crack, possession with intent to distribute crack, cocaine and heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and felon in possession of a firearm;

Shakeam Marquise Backus, a/k/a “B.G.”, 26, of Florence, is charged with conspiracy to distribute crack, possession with intent to distribute crack, cocaine and heroin, and felon in possession of a firearm;

Marquaris Quachan Da-Whan White, a/k/a “KAP Savage,” 25, of Florence, is charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and felon in possession of a firearm;

Ty Quez Chamon Cooper, 26, of Florence, is charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and felon in possession of a firearm;

Jyqwon Antonio Woods, a/k/a “Cheese,” 33, of Florence, is charged with conspiracy to distribute crack and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute crack and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and felon in possession of a firearm;

Tyraze Tyrone-Lamonte Eaddy, 22, of Florence, is charged with robbery affecting interstate commerce, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and

Joey Qurrieven York, JR., 22, of Florence, is charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and felon in possession of a firearm.

Defendants Thomas, Brown, White, Cooper, Woods, and Eaddy face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison, and Defendant Backus faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

In addition to the defendants arrested, an additional defendant has been charged in an indictment with drug trafficking offenses. 

Levester Tyyon Woods, a/k/a “Main,” 36, of Florence, is charged with conspiracy to distribute crack and cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute crack, cocaine, and marijuana.

Defendant Woods faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

According to the complaints filed against these defendants, the case involves members of a street gang who distributed drugs in the Florence area.  The complaints filed against these defendants also allege that the gang members often used firearms and violence to conduct their illegal activity and further their criminal enterprise.

During the course of the investigation into the drug trafficking and firearms offenses of these defendants, agents have seized crack, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, marijuana, and firearms.

The case was investigated by the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Florence County Sheriff’s Office, Florence Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the Twelfth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorney A. Bradley Parham is prosecuting the case.

The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this indictment are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

#####

Greenville, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Jeffrey Gossett, 47, of Greer, has pleaded guilty to felony counts of wire fraud and money laundering stemming from the theft of nearly $2 million in funds related to the Coronavirus, specifically Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL).

“Taking money meant for those in need is reprehensible, especially during a pandemic,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “With the help of our federal and local partners, this office will continue to investigate and prosecute those who seek to turn the misfortune of others into illegal gains for themselves.”

“While many small businesses were struggling to make ends meet at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gossett submitted fraudulent claims for his personal benefit," said Susan Ferensic, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Columbia field office. “The FBI and its federal partners will continue to pursue those who take advantage of programs meant to help small businesses during difficult times.”

“Making false statements to fraudulently gain access to SBA program funds is unacceptable,” said Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General’s (OIG’s) Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge. “SBA OIG will relentlessly pursue evidence of fraud against SBA’s programs aimed at assisting the nation’s small businesses struggling with the pandemic challenges. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its leadership and dedication to pursuing justice.”

Evidence presented to the Court showed that, from March 2020 and continuing until August 2020, Gossett devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money and property by false and fraudulent pretenses. Specifically, Gossett submitted false PPP loan and EIDL applications issued as a result of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. During the course of the scheme, Gossett fraudulently obtained $1,870,549.00 of PPP and EIDL assistance.

For the most serious charge, Gossett faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, 3 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment, and restitution. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Gossett after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

The case was investigated by the FBI, SBA OIG, and the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorney Winston Marosek is prosecuting the case.

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.

#####

Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart, announced today that Kerry Trent Kinard, 50, of Bamberg, was sentenced to a year and a half in federal prison after pleading guilty to making false statements while trying to illegally acquire a firearm.

According to evidence presented in court, while on state bond on seven felony indictments, and while subject to a protective order imposed by a South Carolina Family Court judge, Kinard went into a federally licensed firearms dealer in Columbia and attempted to purchase a Taurus Model G3 9 mm pistol and ammunition.

In the process, Kinard made two false statements to the firearms dealer.  First, in filling out a standard form, he was asked, “Are you under indictment … in any court for a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year?” Kinard falsely answered, “No.”  Second, he was asked, “Are you subject to a court order … restraining you from harassing, stalking, or threatening your child or an intimate partner or child of such partner?”  Again, Kinard falsely answered, “No.”  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recovered GPS ankle monitor coordinates and surveillance of the attempted purchase.

Kinard knew his statements were false, having participated in hearings on both the state felony charges and the protective order, as well as having been suspended from service on the Bamberg County Council by virtue of the felony indictments.

Kinard had also failed to comply with conditions of bond set by the state court judge, and assurances were made in state court that Kinard would surrender firearms if he were released on bond.

The South Carolina Family Court also had made a finding that Kinard “represents a credible threat to the physical safety” of the petitioner in that case, and that he “used, attempted to use, or threatened to use physical force … that is reasonably expected to cause bodily injury.”  That court also wrote in its order that Kinard was prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm under federal law.

On December 4, 2020, Kinard was charged via criminal complaint, and has remained in federal custody since that time.  After his arrest, Kinard obstructed the federal investigation by providing ATF leads he knew were false.  After a grand jury indicted Kinard on two counts related to false statements, Kinard pled guilty to one count of making a false written statement to a licensed firearms dealer.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Kinard to 18 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. This was the high-end of the recommended sentence and supervised release term. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the ATF and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED).  Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.

The case was prosecuted as part of the 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.

#####

Florence, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that 12 individuals across seven construction-related companies have pleaded guilty to charges related to employment tax fraud and hiring unauthorized aliens in the largest criminal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) operation in the history of the Pee Dee region. The pleas are the first to come from an expansive multi-year undercover investigation in the Myrtle Beach area and throughout the South Carolina coast led by the IRS and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The operation targeted those in the construction industry who used unlicensed check cashers to facilitate under-the-table cash payments to employees, many of whom were unauthorized aliens. The check cashers would also provide certificates of insurance falsely stating that the employees were covered under workers’ compensation insurance. These off-the-book payments defrauded the United States out of applicable employment taxes on the employees. Each of the twelve defendants pleaded guilty to an information charging them with one felony count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one misdemeanor count of unlawful employment of aliens. At least $15 million in checks were cashed by these defendants, resulting in millions of dollars of total losses to the Government. Based on the investigation, at least tens of millions of dollars of tax losses have occurred throughout the South Carolina coast because of similar schemes.

“Those who steal from the Government, and by extension the American taxpayers, will not find refuge in South Carolina,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “By evading millions of dollars in taxes and falsely claiming their workers had insurance, these defendants made it harder for honest business owners to compete in the construction industry along South Carolina’s coast and they left their workers exposed to injury without insurance. I want to thank the IRS and HSI for their tireless efforts, as well as our local partners who assisted during this operation. We will continue to prosecute businesses and individuals who try to get ahead by breaking the law.”

“IRS Criminal Investigation realizes the detrimental consequences of employment tax evasion. These defendants mistakenly believed they could disregard their tax obligations and gain a competitive advantage while doing so,” said Mona Passmore, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. “They underestimated our vigorous pursuit of justice and dedication to closing the tax gap. We will continue to hold criminals accountable for their role in these schemes.”

“The biggest misconception about labor exploitation is that it's a victimless crime and that couldn't be further from the truth. Workers, competing businesses, people who have their identities stolen and even the local economy are all victims of this crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronnie Martinez, who oversees HSI operations in North Carolina and South Carolina. “This case is shedding light on a crime that has happened in the shadows for too long and HSI and its partners will continue to hold accountable those involved in labor exploitation.”

Evidence presented to the court showed that beginning around late 2018, IRS and HSI began jointly investigating the practice of illegal check cashing within the construction industry in the Myrtle Beach area and in other regions along the South Carolina coast. Specifically, certain construction companies would use check cashers so that they could hire unauthorized aliens and avoid paying employment taxes on their workers. To facilitate the scheme, a member of the construction company would meet with an unlicensed check casher in places like parking lots for retail stores or coffee shops. The construction company would give the check casher a business check in a certain amount made out to a company the check casher had created, and the check casher would give the construction company representative a bag of cash that would be used to pay the employees. In exchange for their services, the check casher held back a fee of approximately three percent.

To make it appear like the employees had valid insurance on job sites, the check casher would also provide a certificate of workers’ compensation insurance that was not actually valid for any of the construction company’s employees. The parties agreed that the check casher would, on paper, claim to be a subcontractor who provided the employees and provided insurance. However, the parties knew that the check casher provided no other services or employees to the construction company. The check casher only provided a way to hide the true nature of the scheme, to allow the construction company to hire unauthorized aliens, and to pay workers with untaxed cash.

In approximately 2019, various IRS undercover agents embedded themselves in the Myrtle Beach area and recorded multiple interactions with the various defendants’ companies.

The following defendants from the following companies have pled guilty so far in the operation: 

         Daniel Lavoie Construction Services

• Daniel A. Lavoie, 49, of Conway (4:21-cr-00585)
• Enrique R. Reyes, 48, of Conway (4:21-cr-00585)
   

         Duran Masonry

• Walter A. Duran, 45, of Myrtle Beach (4:21-cr-00584)
• Lisa Caulley Sellers, 57, of Myrtle Beach (4:21-cr-00584)

 

         Extreme Siding

• Ming Xue Nan, 52, of Myrtle Beach (4:21-cr-00595)
• Katherine L. Welker, 39, of Myrtle Beach (4:21-cr-00595)

 

         Master Homes Calabash

• Marylany Hardman Levino, 36, of Myrtle Beach (4:21-cr-00581)
• Josafa P. Neto, 43, of Myrtle Beach (4:21-cr-00581)

 

        Metro Concrete Finishers

• Saul Prieto, 56, of Myrtle Beach (4:21-cr-00594)
• Martha E. Zarate, a/k/a Martha E. Prieto, 54, of Myrtle Beach (4:21-cr-00594)

 

        Master Homes Design Center

• Marcos Caetano De Almeida, 45, of Myrtle Beach (4:21-cr-00582)

 

         Paint By Numbers

• Johanna A. Carpio, 38, of Myrtle Beach (4:21-cr-00583)
   

Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, and six months in federal prison for unlawful employment of aliens. Each defendant also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and $3,000 for each unauthorized alien, and 3 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. Each defendant has agreed to make restitution to the IRS, for a total restitution amount of just under $3 million. Chief United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell accepted each of the guilty pleas and will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

This case was investigated by IRS and HSI, with assistance from the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Derek A. Shoemake and Carrie Fisher are prosecuting the case.

#####

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney Rhett DeHart announced today that a press conference will be held tomorrow, October 26, 2021, at 10 a.m., at the Myrtle Beach Police Department Annex at 3340 Mustang Street in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29577.

Represented at the press conference will be the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina and representatives of the following law enforcement agencies: Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

WHEN:      Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at 10 a.m.

WHERE:    Myrtle Beach Police Department Annex

                       3340 Mustang Street

                       Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29577

 

NOTE:  Press inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek A. Shoemake at 843-813-0982.  Members of the media wishing to attend the remarks should arrive at the Myrtle Beach Police Department Annex fifteen minutes in advance.

#####

WASHINGTON — A South Carolina man was indicted today for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election. A second man, from Texas, was indicted in the case on related charges.

George Amos Tenney III, 35, of Anderson, S.C., was indicted on three felony charges, including assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers, civil disorder, and obstructing an official proceeding. as well six other misdemeanor charges. Darrell Youngers, 32, of Cleveland, Texas, is charged with four misdemeanor offenses. Both men were arrested on June 29, 2021, following the filing of a criminal complaint. They will be arraigned on a future date in the District of Columbia.

According to court documents, before Jan. 6, Tenney wrote on Facebook, “It’s starting to look like we may siege the capital building [sic] and [C]ongress if the electoral votes don’t go right.  We are forming plans for every scenario.”  Tenney and Youngers were captured on video as they moved through the U.S. Capitol together on Jan 6, entering by approximately 2:19 p.m. through the Senate Wing Door. Tenney and Youngers eventually made their way to the East Rotunda Doors. While there, Tenney sought to force open the doors from inside, despite police efforts to keep them closed, and helped rioters amassed outside get into the building. He also grabbed an employee of the House Sergeant at Arms, locked arms with a U.S. Capitol Police officer, and pushed another Capitol Police officer. Tenney and Youngers eventually retreated into the Rotunda. 

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

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Greenville, S.C. Resident Agency and Houston Field Office, as well as the Metropolitan Police Department. Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police.

In the nine months since Jan. 6, more than 650 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 190 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

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

The charges contained in any criminal complaint or indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced that James Eric Hampton, Jr., 37, of Columbia, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison today after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. 

Evidence presented in court showed that on the night of June 10, 2019, an officer with the University of South Carolina Police Department observed a vehicle at the intersection of Gervais Street and Assembly Street and noticed that it had a suspended license plate. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed over an ounce of marijuana, packed in baggies, along with a digital scale and cash. Hampton admitted to having sold marijuana earlier. The officer also located a stolen, loaded Ruger 9mm handgun, which Hampton admitted to purchasing off the street. Hampton had been released from the South Carolina Department of Corrections a year earlier after serving time for possession of a firearm.

Hampton was placed under arrested on state charges and later indicted federally. Hampton, who was later released on federal bond with GPS monitoring, absconded supervision, cut off the ankle monitor, and fled to North Carolina, where the United States Marshal’s Service apprehended him and returned him to South Carolina where he remained in custody. As a result, Hampton received an enhancement for obstruction of justice, his federal bond was revoked, and a portion of the bond was forfeited.

Hampton is a felon and prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law based upon prior state convictions. Hampton has prior state convictions from Richland, Fairfield, Newberry, and Lexington Counties for use of a vehicle without permission, driving under suspension, unlawful possession of a firearm, burglary 3rd degree, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, giving false information, simple possession of marijuana, habitual traffic offender, assault and battery 2nd degree, and possession of a pistol by an unlawful person convicted of a crime of violence. 

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis of Columbia sentenced Hampton to 84 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the University of South Carolina Police Department. The case was prosecuted as part of the 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 United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes prosecuted the case.

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Charleston, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart, announced today that Quinton Allen Manigault, 26, of Wando, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to armed bank robbery.

Evidence presented to the Court showed that Manigault robbed the Pinnacle Bank at the corner of Folly Road and Cross Creek Drive at gunpoint on March 27, 2018. Following the robbery, Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and detectives with the Charleston Police Department used surveillance footage from surrounding establishments to identify the car Manigault used, and a money band from the bank was discovered in the vehicle.

United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks sentenced Manigault to 180 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 Charleston Police Department. The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Schoen and Allessandra Stewart prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina---- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that Colonial Family Practice, LLC, a physician-owned primary and urgent care practice with multiple clinics in South Carolina, has agreed to a $1.25 million settlement to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by billing Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE for medically unnecessary services.

Specifically, the United States alleged that Colonial Family Practice filed claims for medically unnecessary nuclear stress tests ordered by Dr. Clay Lowder and Dr. David Whaley between February 22, 2012, and November 26, 2019.  Further, the United States alleged the practice systematically billed for unnecessary Cystatin-C laboratory tests—a test to detect kidney dysfunction that is only payable in a narrow set of patients.  Colonial Family Practice allegedly added this test to a panel run on most of its patients between August 13, 2013, and November 29, 2019.

The allegations settled arose from two whistleblower lawsuits—one by a Physician Assistant formerly employed by Colonial and the other by a former clinical manager at the practice.

In United States ex rel. Debi Coker v. Colonial Family Practice LLC, et al., Civ. No. 3:18-cv-00800-JMC, the former clinical manager alleged that between February 2012 and November 2019 physicians at the practice falsified symptoms in medical records to support unnecessary EKGs, laboratory orders, and radiology services.

In United States ex rel. James Fields v. Colonial Family Practice, et al., Civ. No. 3:19-cv-02703-JMC, the Physician Assistant alleged that, between August 2013 and November 2019, Colonial created a protocol to add a Cystatin-C laboratory test to its Basic Metabolic Panel, which led to systematic billing for medically unnecessary Cystatin-C tests.

“The United States Attorney’s Office will continue its effort to ensure healthcare providers doing business with the federal government do so with competent care within the full letter of the law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart.  “By doing so, we not only will ensure the rule of law is followed but also ensure tax dollars are protected.”

"False and inappropriate healthcare billing erodes public confidence in the healthcare system, subjects patients to unnecessary tests and procedures, and increases the cost of healthcare for active duty service members, retirees, and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office.  “DCIS and its law enforcement partners will continue targeting fraud waste and abuse of the TRICARE program and hold wrongdoers accountable.”

The matter was investigated by the Department of Defense’s Defense Health Agency, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Enforcement Unit, and Assistant United States Attorneys Beth Warren and Nancy Cote.

The litigation and settlement 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 claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only.  Colonial Family Practice, LLC does not admit wrongdoing or liability.

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COLUMBIA, South Carolina ---- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart stated today that on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, 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 20th 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

Bennettsville Police Department

Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office

Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office

City of Charleston Police Department

Easley Police Department

Lexington County Sheriff’s Office

 

Participating Schools

 

Brookdale Elementary School

Cheraw Intermediate School

Elloree Elementary School

Fairfield Magnet School for Math and Science

Julian Mitchell Elementary School

Luther Vaughan Elementary School 

Marlboro County High School (9th Grade) 

McKissick Academy of Science and Technology

Northwest Elementary School 

Rivelon Elementary School 

Sandhills Middle School

Swansea Freshman Academy

Wallace-Gregg Elementary School 

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Columbia, South Carolina --- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart, announced today that Kevin Shacqile Roney, a/k/a “Kevo,” a/k/a “Valentine Roney,” 26, of Columbia, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Evidence presented to the court showed that at approximately 1:15am on August 18, 2019, officers in the Five Points area of Columbia observed an individual, later identified as Roney, stash something underneath bushes adjacent to a parking lot. Officers discovered that the item was a loaded 9mm handgun. Officers set up surveillance and arrested Roney on state charges when he returned to retrieve the firearm an hour later. Roney, a gang member, admitted to placing the firearm underneath the bushes. Further investigation revealed a social media video from May 2020 where Roney, who had been released on state bonds, brandished another firearm in the video.

Roney is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior felony convictions. Roney has prior state convictions for unlawful carrying of a weapon, burglary 3rd degree, and assault and battery 2nd degree. 

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Roney to 30 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes prosecuted the case as part of the 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.

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