District of South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Daniel Edward Johnson, 48, former Fifth Circuit Solicitor and resident of Blythewood, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to Wire Fraud.

“A prosecutor’s duty is to enforce the law diligently, vigorously, and justly,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “As Solicitor, Dan Johnson represented to his constituents, law enforcement, and the courts that he was enforcing the law while he violated it himself time and again.  Justice has been served, and we look forward to working with the fine men and women of the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office and Solicitor Gipson as they move forward from under the cloud of Johnson’s conduct. We are grateful to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office for their assistance in holding him accountable.”

Facts presented in court established that Daniel Edward Johnson was the Fifth Circuit Solicitor from 2011 to 2018.  The Solicitor’s Office serves both Richland and Kershaw Counties and receives funding from both, as well as from the federal government.  Kershaw County pays the office-related credit card bills for select Solicitor’s Office employees. 

During his time as Solicitor, Johnson used Solicitor’s Office funds to cover personal and non-office-related expenses.  Johnson was issued Solicitor’s Office credit cards reading “DAN JOHNSON, Fifth Circuit Sol Office.”  Using these cards, Johnson made a series of personal and non-office-related purchases, starting no later than 2016.  Johnson fraudulently used these cards over 100 times, improperly charging the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office over $44,000. Examples of some of the fraudulent transactions include:

• September 7, 2016, charge for $208.79, at the Elara by Hilton Grand Vacations in Las Vegas.
• September 7, 2016, charge for $911.48, at the Doubletree Magic Mile hotel in Chicago.
• October 1, 2016, charge for $685.07, to Copa Airlines, an airline based in Panama.
• October 5, 2016, charge for $137.22, at the Hilton Columbia Center in Columbia, SC

The total loss amount caused by Johnson’s fraudulent transactions is approximately $44,317.57. 

Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Daniel Edward Johnson to one year and one day in federal prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision.  The additional day beyond one year makes Johnson eligible to receive up to 54 days of credit against his sentence for good behavior in prison.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).  Assistant United States Attorneys Winston D. Holliday, Jr., Alyssa Leigh Richardson, and William Camden Lewis of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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Oral Roberts University (ORU), based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will pay  $303,502 to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act of submitting false claims to the U.S. Department of Education in violation of the federal ban on incentive-based compensation, the Department of Justice announced.    

Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) prohibits any institution of higher education that receives federal student aid from compensating student recruiters with a commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based on the recruiters’ success in securing student enrollment. The incentive compensation ban protects students against admissions and recruitment practices that serve the financial interests of the recruiter rather than the educational needs of the student.

“The integrity of our system of higher education is founded on allowing students to make enrollment decisions based on their own educational interests,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will not allow these important decisions to be compromised by educational institutions offering recruiters financial incentives to enroll students.”

“Our higher education system should prioritize the educational interests of students, not the financial interests of schools and recruiters,” said U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Lydon for the District of South Carolina. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will fight to protect against misuse of federal taxpayer dollars intended to serve students’ educational needs.”

The settlement resolves allegations that between 2014 and 2016, ORU hired Joined Inc. to recruit students to ORU. ORU allegedly compensated Joined in part with a share of the tuition that ORU received from the enrollment of recruited students, in violation of the prohibition on incentive compensation. 

“The Office of Inspector General has a unique and special law enforcement mission – to protect public education funds for eligible students. This settlement is an example of our commitment to this mission,” said Neil Sanchez, Special Agent in Charge of the U S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Southern Regional Office. “The OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement colleagues and pursue allegations of violations of the False Claims Act in carrying out our important public service.” 

The allegations resolved by the settlement were brought in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by Maurice Shoe, the co-owner of Joined. The Act permits private parties to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to receive a share of any recovery. Mr. Shoe will receive $45,000.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina and the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch. Investigative assistance was provided by the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Education.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Shoe v. Oral Roberts University, No. 6:16-cv-01570 (D.S.C.).

Columbia, South Carolina --- The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Daniel McCollum, a chiropractor based in Greenville, South Carolina, and pain management clinics and urine drug testing laboratories that McCollum owned or managed for engaging in illegal financial relationships and providing medically unnecessary services and items, including urine drug testing and steroid injections and prescriptions for opioids and lidocaine ointment, the Department of Justice announced today. The entities named as defendants in connection with McCollum’s schemes are FirstChoice Healthcare P.C.; Labsource LLC; Oaktree Medical Centre P.C.; Pain Management Associates of the Carolinas LLC; Pain Management Associates of North Carolina P.C.; and ProLab LLC. The United States’ complaint also names as a defendant ProCare Counseling Center LLC, a substance abuse counseling center located in Greenville, South Carolina, that the government contends referred medically unnecessary urine drug tests to ProLab, which it co-owned with McCollum.

          “Individuals and entities that participate in federal health care programs must comply with the rules intended to safeguard the integrity of those programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will not tolerate practices such as the ordering of unnecessary items or services and providing illegal inducements to physicians that lead to excessive costs being imposed upon our nation’s health care programs.”

          “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina will not tolerate health care fraud, which victimizes both patients and taxpayers,” said Sherri Lydon, United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “We are committed to protecting taxpayer dollars from fraudulent billing practices and to holding accountable those in the medical community who have fueled the opioid crisis through abusive prescribing habits. Through False Claims Act cases like this one, we will continue to bring these bad actors to justice.”  

          The United States’ complaint alleges that from at least Jan. 1, 2011 through Dec. 31, 2018, McCollum and his pain management clinics paid bonuses to physicians and other health care providers that included amounts based directly on their referrals of urine drug testing to McCollum’s laboratories, in violation of the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute. The United States also alleges that McCollum and Labsource violated the Anti-Kickback Statute by entering into “direct bill” agreements with physicians and other providers around the country that entitled those providers, after paying Labsource a set fee to run the test panels they ordered, to bill private insurance companies directly for those tests – and generally for much more than they had paid Labsource. The United States contends in its complaint that McCollum and Labsource offered providers the opportunity to profit in this manner to induce them to refer their tests for Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE patients to Labsource. 

          Congress passed the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute to prevent financial incentives from improperly influencing medical decision-making, which can lead to excessive and unnecessary tests and services, as well as patient harm. Among other things, the Stark Law prohibits billing Medicare for laboratory testing services referred by a physician who stands to profit directly from those referrals. The Anti‑Kickback Statute, in relevant part, prohibits offering or paying anything of value to encourage the referral of items or services covered by federal health care programs, including laboratory testing services. 

          The United States’ complaint also alleges that McCollum and the other defendants, including ProCare, directed or encouraged providers to use “standing orders” of laboratory tests across all or most of their patients without regard for individual patient need – which caused Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE to pay for medically unnecessary tests. Finally, the complaint alleges that McCollum and his pain management clinics caused these federal health care programs to pay for excessive and unnecessary steroid injections and unnecessary prescriptions for opioids and lidocaine ointment.

          The United States filed its complaint in three consolidated lawsuits pending in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the Act, a private citizen can sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The United States also is entitled to intervene in the lawsuits, as it did in these cases on March 1.

          This matter was investigated by the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Inspector General, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. It was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Beth Warren for the District of South Carolina. The claims asserted in this action are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

          The consolidated civil cases are 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.).

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The United States has filed a complaint under the False Claims Act against Daniel McCollum, a chiropractor based in Greenville, South Carolina, and pain management clinics and urine drug testing laboratories that McCollum owned or managed for engaging in illegal financial relationships and providing medically unnecessary services and items, including urine drug testing and steroid injections and prescriptions for opioids and lidocaine ointment, the Department of Justice announced today. The entities named as defendants in connection with McCollum’s schemes are FirstChoice Healthcare P.C.; Labsource LLC; Oaktree Medical Centre P.C.; Pain Management Associates of the Carolinas LLC; Pain Management Associates of North Carolina P.C.; and ProLab LLC. The United States’ complaint also names as a defendant ProCare Counseling Center LLC, a substance abuse counseling center located in Greenville, South Carolina, that the government contends referred medically unnecessary urine drug tests to ProLab, which it co-owned with McCollum.

“Individuals and entities that participate in federal health care programs must comply with the rules intended to safeguard the integrity of those programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will not tolerate practices such as the ordering of unnecessary items or services and providing illegal inducements to physicians that lead to excessive costs being imposed upon our nation’s health care programs.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina will not tolerate health care fraud, which victimizes both patients and taxpayers,” said Sherri Lydon, United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “We are committed to protecting taxpayer dollars from fraudulent billing practices and to holding accountable those in the medical community who have fueled the opioid crisis through abusive prescribing habits. Through False Claims Act cases like this one, we will continue to bring these bad actors to justice.”  

The United States’ complaint alleges that from at least Jan. 1, 2011 through Dec. 31, 2018, McCollum and his pain management clinics paid bonuses to physicians and other health care providers that included amounts based directly on their referrals of urine drug testing to McCollum’s laboratories, in violation of the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute. The United States also alleges that McCollum and Labsource violated the Anti-Kickback Statute by entering into “direct bill” agreements with physicians and other providers around the country that entitled those providers, after paying Labsource a set fee to run the test panels they ordered, to bill private insurance companies directly for those tests – and generally for much more than they had paid Labsource. The United States contends in its complaint that McCollum and Labsource offered providers the opportunity to profit in this manner to induce them to refer their tests for Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE patients to Labsource. 

Congress passed the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute to prevent financial incentives from improperly influencing medical decision-making, which can lead to excessive and unnecessary tests and services, as well as patient harm. Among other things, the Stark Law prohibits billing Medicare for laboratory testing services referred by a physician who stands to profit directly from those referrals. The Anti‑Kickback Statute, in relevant part, prohibits offering or paying anything of value to encourage the referral of items or services covered by federal health care programs, including laboratory testing services. 

The United States’ complaint also alleges that McCollum and the other defendants, including ProCare, directed or encouraged providers to use “standing orders” of laboratory tests across all or most of their patients without regard for individual patient need – which caused Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE to pay for medically unnecessary tests. Finally, the complaint alleges that McCollum and his pain management clinics caused these federal health care programs to pay for excessive and unnecessary steroid injections and unnecessary prescriptions for opioids and lidocaine ointment.

The United States filed its complaint in three consolidated lawsuits pending in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the Act, a private citizen can sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The United States also is entitled to intervene in the lawsuits, as it did in these cases on March 1.

This matter was investigated by the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Inspector General, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. The claims asserted in this action are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

The consolidated civil cases are 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.).

Florence, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Lance Hardiman, Justin Pressley, and Rodrick Berklery, all 28 years old, were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in the armed bank robbery of South State Bank in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on May, 4, 2016, and a follow-on high-speed chase where the defendants shot at several police officers.

Hardiman was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after a jury convicted him of armed bank robbery, witness tampering, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of using a firearm in furtherance of crimes of violence. Pressley was sentenced to over 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to using a firearm in furtherance of an armed bank robbery. Berklery was sentenced to 30 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and using a firearm in furtherance of witness tampering. Chief United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell of Florence sentenced the defendants, with each sentence followed by 5 years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on May 4, 2016, the three defendants—Hardiman, Pressley, and Berklery—armed with handguns and wearing gloves and masks, robbed the South State Bank in North Myrtle Beach. After entering the bank, Hardiman stood at the door while Pressley and Berklery fired their weapons and jumped over the counter. They forced the tellers to empty their tills into a bag, threatening the women’s lives. The men obtained over $30,000 and fled the bank. Bank employees were able to trip a silent alarm and place a dye pack in the bag, and they identified the type of car that the men got into as a silver Chevrolet Impala.

Responding to the call, a detective with the North Myrtle Beach Police Department saw a silver Impala with three men inside. The officer turned on his blue lights, and the Impala took off at high speeds. The officer followed the Impala for approximately five miles as Pressley fired an AK-47 out of the back window at the officer and Hardiman shot out of the passenger’s window. As the chase wound through a residential community, the suspects reached speeds of over 80 miles an hour while indiscriminately shooting at the officer and passing motorists.

Hardiman, Pressley, and Berklery proceeded towards Longs, where one of them lived. They kept firing at the officer, hitting his vehicle twice. One round missed the officer by less than an inch. The officer thought he had been hit and crashed his car.

The three men continued driving and encountered a lieutenant with the North Myrtle Beach Police Department, who deployed spike strips in an effort to end the high speed chase. Hardiman fired out the window at the lieutenant, hitting his car, as Berklery swerved to miss the spike strip. Berklery lost control of the car and drove it off the road. The three defendants then ran from the scene into a heavily wooded area.

A manhunt began, with North Myrtle Beach Police Department, Horry County Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), Myrtle Beach Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) all participating in the search. A perimeter was set, and within an hour law enforcement encountered Pressley hiding in some brush.

Tracking the other two suspects, law enforcement encountered two sets of footprints going into standing water wearing shoes. On the other side of the water, one set of footprints was still wearing shoes and the other was barefoot.  Hardiman was captured several hours later walking out of the woods. He had stripped down to just shorts and had scratches and scrapes, apparently from running through brush. Berklery was captured approximately 11:30 p.m. in a junkyard wearing just his boxers and no shoes.

During the trial, it was revealed that two of the members of this robbery crew had previously robbed another bank in Horry County and a restaurant.

The case was investigated by agents of the FBI, North Myrtle Beach Police Department, Horry County Police Department, SLED, SCDNR, Myrtle Beach Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001 that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Turning the tide of rising violent crime in America is a top priority for the Department of Justice, which has reinstituted PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy.

Assistant United States Attorneys Jim May of the Columbia office and Derek Shoemake of the Florence office prosecuted the case, along with Special Assistant United States Attorney and Chief Deputy Solicitor of the 15th Circuit Scott Hixson.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA -- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that a sentencing hearing has been scheduled in the case of United States v. Daniel Edward Johnson, Case No. 3:18-863.  Johnson has pleaded guilty to one count of Wire Fraud.  Senior United States District Court Judge Cameron McGowan Currie will preside.

 

WHEN:       Tuesday, June 4, 2019, at 2:30 p.m.

WHERE:     Courtroom I

                       Matthew J. Perry, Jr. Courthouse

                       901 Richland Street

                       Columbia, South Carolina 29201       

 

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Florence, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Jeremy Lamar Hayes, 29, and Kennedy Boggs, 26, were sentenced in federal court in Florence on federal robbery and gun charges.  Hayes previously pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery (robbery affecting commerce) and two counts of Brandishing a Firearm during a Crime of Violence.  Boggs pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of Aiding and Abetting the Brandishing of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence.  Chief United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced Hayes to 240 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of court-ordered supervision.  He sentenced Boggs to 108 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

Evidence presented to the court showed that on January 29, 2018, officers from the Myrtle Beach Police Department (MBPD) responded to an armed robbery at a dry cleaner in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Hayes entered the location, presented a firearm, and demanded money from the register and the victim’s wallet.  Hayes took money from the register, the victim’s wallet and cell phone, and the store phone and then fled in a vehicle. 

The next day, MBPD officers responded to an armed robbery at a restaurant in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Hayes entered the location, presented a firearm, and demanded money from the register.  Hayes took cash from the register and an employee’s cell phone.  Hayes then forced employees to lay on the ground and count while Hayes exited the store and fled in a vehicle. 

After the restaurant robbery, MBPD located a vehicle matching the description of the get-away vehicle.  The driver, Kennedy Boggs, failed to stop, and after a pursuit, both Boggs and Hayes were detained.  MBPD found in the vehicle clothing matching the description of clothing worn by Hayes during the robberies.  Hayes’ fingerprint was also located at the scene of the restaurant robbery.  Boggs admitted that she had driven Hayes to the robberies and that during the vehicle pursuit, the firearm was thrown out of the car window.  Officers later recovered the firearm. 

The charges against Hayes and Boggs were the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the Surfside Beach Police Department, the Horry County Police Department, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office (NC), and the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office (NC).  This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001 that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Turning the tide of rising violent crime in America is a top priority for the Department of Justice, which has reinstituted PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy.  Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office prosecuted the case. 

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Ryan Newell, 31, and Cory Woods, 29, both of Columbia, were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in armed bank robberies.  Newell was sentenced to over 24 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to three armed bank robberies and corresponding firearm offenses.  Woods was sentenced to over nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to single armed bank robbery and firearm offenses.

Evidence presented to the Court showed both Newell and Woods were responsible for three armed takeovers and robberies of banks located in the Midlands of South Carolina. On January 24, 2018, Woods and Newell stole over $33,000 from a First Citizens bank in Columbia. The second robbery occurred at a TD Bank in Irmo on February 24, 2018, where Newell and Woods stole over $17,000. The final robbery occurred on March 5, 2018, at a Wells Fargo in Chapin. In the final robbery, Newell and Woods stole over $28,000, then left the bank and took law enforcement on a high speed chase down I-26. Ultimately, Newell and Woods crashed into the median and were arrested.

Senior United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten of Columbia sentenced Ryan Newell to 298 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of court-ordered supervision. Judge Wooten sentenced Cory Woods to 108 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 5-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, the Chapin Police Department, the Irmo Police Department, and the Columbia Police Department. 

Assistant United States Attorney William Camden Lewis of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina - United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Ronald Allen Wright, age 53, of Columbia, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after a jury found him guilty of tax fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  His convictions stem from the false and meritless “sovereign citizen” ideology, whereby individuals argue that they are not subject to the laws of the United States of America and that debts can be discharged by accessing secret government bank accounts. 

According to information presented during his trial and sentencing, Wright was the owner of “Money Solutions,” a Columbia-based financial services business.  Between 2013 and 2015, Wright targeted multiple individuals, some elderly, who were experiencing financial difficulty.  Wright especially pursued those going through foreclosure on their homes and contacted many of them through churches and other faith-based organizations.  Wright claimed that he knew a method whereby individuals could eradicate their debts by making financial claims against their birth certificates.  Wright told his customers that these monetary claims against the birth certificates could then be used to satisfy the customer’s debts. 

According to evidence presented at trial, Wright attempted to fraudulently discharge nearly $15 million of consumer debt.  Despite Wright’s claimed belief in this payment system, he did not accept this form of payment at Money Solutions, and instead charged individuals over $140,000 of actual currency to participate in his bogus scheme.  Wright also argued that his so-called “sovereign” status exempted him from the payment of income taxes. 

“No one is exempt from the Rule of Law in this country,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “Mr. Wright’s sentence holds him accountable for years of defrauding some of the most vulnerable members of his community and taking advantage of those who were desperate for help.”

"We continue to see the negative consequences of participating in fraudulent debt elimination tactics," said Matthew D. Line, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Charlotte Field Office.  "Today's sentence is a positive message to honest taxpayers and further exhibits that the IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office are duty bound to protect the integrity of the U.S. tax administration system, and to make sure everyone complies with their tax obligations."

The case was investigated primarily by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney T. DeWayne Pearson of the Columbia office.

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Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Richard Earl Jeffcoat, age 52, of Pelion, was sentenced to six months in federal prison and six months of home confinement after pleading guilty to Conspiring to Commit Bank Fraud.  Senior United States District Court Judge Terry L. Wooten of Columbia imposed the sentence and ordered Jeffcoat to pay over $45,000 in restitution to the victim, Arthur State Bank.

Facts presented in court established that Jeffcoat is an accountant who was producing false documentation in support of loan applications and giving that information to an Arthur State Bank loan officer.  The officer than facilitated approvals for mortgages and other loans using the fake documents.  Some of the loans were for Jeffcoat’s family members.  

Jeffcoat was involved in a total of six loans valued at $529,000.  Several are still current.  The value of the loss-to-date is approximately $45,000.

The United States Secret Service investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Winston D. Holliday, Jr., of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Corey Emery Jenkins, 35, of North Charleston, was sentenced to a year in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on August 10, 2017, officers of the North Charleston Police Department responded to an apartment on Russelldale Avenue regarding reports of gun and drug trafficking. Jenkins answered the door with a gun in his hand, and then tried to close the door on the officer. Officers entered the apartment and secured a search warrant. A search of the apartment revealed three loaded guns, including a stolen Glock, a revolver capable of firing shotgun shells, and an assault rifle. Federal law prohibits Jenkins from possessing firearms based on prior felony convictions.

United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks of Charleston sentenced Jenkins to twelve months in federal prison to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. The Court imposed the maximum sentence available under the terms of Jenkins’ plea agreement. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the North Charleston Police Department.  It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Schoen of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina — United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon recognized today the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local police officers on the occasion of National Police Week, which is being observed Sunday, May 12, to Saturday, May 18, 2019.  In October 1962, Congress declared May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and created National Police Week as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice. 

According to statistics reported to the FBI, 106 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2018, including five officers here in South Carolina.  The names of all 106 fallen officers nationwide were formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, during the 31st Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2019.

“During Police Week, we celebrate the contributions of law enforcement officers across the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, and bravery,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “Today, on National Peace Officers Memorial Day, we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their communities.  We are able to live in safety and sleep in peace only because men and women like Mike Doty, Dale Hallman, James Kirk, Terrence Carraway, and Farrah Turner are willing to put on the police uniform every day and risk their lives to protect the rest of us.  To them, and to their brothers and sisters in uniform, we offer our unwavering support and appreciation.”

The five South Carolina officers added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial this year are:

York County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Michael R. Doty, who passed away on January 17, 2018, after sustaining gunshot wounds in the line of duty the previous day while searching for a subject who had shot a York County Sheriff’s Office canine handler earlier in the night.

Saluda County Sheriff’s Office Corporal Dale S. Hallman, who was killed in the line of duty in a single-vehicle crash while responding to a call on April 6, 2018;

Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy James L. Kirk, Jr., who died in the line of duty after collapsing during a combat firearms training on April 24, 2018;

Florence Police Sergeant Terrence F. Carraway, who was killed in the line of duty on October 3, 2018, while responding to assist three Florence County Sheriff’s Office deputies who had been shot while serving a warrant; and

Florence County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Farrah B.G. Turner, who passed away on October 22, 2018, after suffering fatal gunshot wounds in the line of duty while serving a warrant on October 3, 2018.

For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.

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Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Ike Joel Mitchell, age 33, of Kershaw County, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to two counts of possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana; two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm; and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Senior United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten of Columbia sentenced Mitchell to 240 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 10-year term of court-ordered supervision and a special assessment of $500.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented to the court established that on June 4, 2017, the Camden Police Department located Mitchell sitting in the driver’s seat of a parked car at a local shopping center.  Mitchell had an outstanding arrest warrant in their jurisdiction.  Mitchell was asked to step out of the car.  Under the front driver’s seat, the police found a .22 caliber handgun with one round of .22 caliber ammunition in it.  They also found a green book bag that contained marijuana, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and a digital scale. Mitchell was arrested but was later released on bond.

On September 20, 2017, Mitchell was indicted federally on drug and gun charges and remained a fugitive until January 25, 2018.  On that date, the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department learned that Mitchell was at a local Kershaw County hotel.  As officers approached the hotel, they saw him walking with a female while talking on his cell phone.  In his hand, multiple officers saw him carrying a grey plastic bag.  As Mitchell saw the police, he tried to run through the breezeway of the hotel but stopped and returned to where he was initially seen.  He was arrested.  Officers found on him two keys for the hotel, a .38 caliber handgun, marijuana, and roughly $600 dollars.

The officers found the grey plastic bag that Mitchell had discarded and discovered it contained heroin, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and two unopened bottles of a codeine mixture.  

The officers also used the room keys found on Mitchell and searched the hotel room.   Under one of the beds, they found a blue book bag containing methamphetamine, a .357 caliber handgun, and a mason jar containing heroin; and a black book bag containing eight additional unopened bottles of the codeine mixture.

Federal law prohibits Mitchell from possessing a firearm as a result of prior convictions for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and distribution of cocaine base.

The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kershaw County Sheriff's Office, and Camden Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys William K. Witherspoon and Christopher Taylor of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of 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.

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Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon  announced today that Amir Golestan, 36, of Charleston, South Carolina, and Micfo, LLC, were charged in federal court in a twenty-count indictment.  The indictment charges twenty counts of wire fraud, with each count punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment. 

The indictment alleges that since February 2014, Golestan and Micfo created and utilized “Channel Partners,” which purported to consist of several individual businesses, all of whom acquired the right to IP addresses from the American Registry of Internet Numbers (ARIN).  The indictment alleges that Golestan and Micfo fabricated the true nature of the Channel Partners, including creating false officers and deceptive websites for the businesses, which were in turn used to deceive ARIN and to fraudulently obtain IP address rights from ARIN.  The indictment charges that, through this scheme, Golestan and Micfo obtained the rights to approximately 757,760 IP addresses, with a market value between $9,850,880.00 and $14,397,440.00.

The charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Nathan Williams of the Charleston office is prosecuting the case.

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

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Charleston, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Marion Katrell Campbell, age 38, of Walterboro, South Carolina, was sentenced for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks of Charleston sentenced Campbell to 360 months in prison followed by 6 years of supervised release.

Evidence presented at trial established that on July 8, 2017, Campbell was the driver and sole occupant of a car stopped by officers with the Walterboro Police Department for a defective headlight.  A K9 search was conducted on the vehicle after Campbell was placed under arrest for driving under suspension and failure to pay multiple traffic citations.  After a positive alert from the K9, officers searched the vehicle and located a loaded .38 caliber Charter Arms revolver under the driver’s seat, extra ammunition on the driver’s side floorboard and in the driver’s door, plastic bags containing methamphetamine in the driver’s door and center console, as well as additional plastic baggies used for packaging drugs for distribution on the front passenger seat and in the passenger door.  In total, there were 42 individual bags of methamphetamine measured out in various weights for distribution.   The total net weight of the methamphetamine was a little less than 37 grams. 

After Campbell was arrested, he placed numerous phone calls to his friends and family from jail trying to convince other people to claim the firearm located in the vehicle that night. 

Campbell has a lengthy criminal history, which includes convictions for criminal domestic violence, forgery, failure to stop for a blue light, strong arm robbery, multiple drug possessions, and multiple possessions with intent to distribute crack and cocaine.

The case was investigated by the Walterboro Police Department and agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The case was prosecuted pursuant to 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone’s longstanding partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office to target career criminals in Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, Colleton, and Allendale Counties in federal court as well as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. 

Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of 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.

Special Assistant United States Attorney Carra Henderson of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office and Assistant United States Jamie Schoen of the US Attorney’s Office in Charleston prosecuted the case.

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COLUMBIA, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina has resolved claims of health care fraud with Carolina Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, Inc. (“Carolina PT”).  Carolina PT was a chain of nine physical therapy practices headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, with practice locations in Columbia, Irmo, Lexington, Sumter, and Mount Pleasant. 

The United States contended that Carolina PT knowingly submitted claims to Medicare and TRICARE for services provided to multiple patients simultaneously as though the services were being provided by a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant to one patient at a time.  As a result, Carolina PT received higher reimbursements than it would have if it had accurately represented the services.  Additionally, the United States contended that Carolina PT knowingly submitted claims to Medicare and TRICARE for services provided by physical therapy assistants who were not supervised by a physical therapist, as required.  Finally, the United States contended that Carolina PT knowingly submitted claims for attended electrical stimulation services when those services were in reality not attended by a licensed therapist or assistant and should have been billed as a lower cost unattended electrical stimulation service.

This settlement resolves a lawsuit originally filed in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina by Hilary Moore, a former employee of Carolina PT, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private citizens to bring lawsuits on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. Moore will receive $142,200 from the settlement, and her attorneys will recoup fees from Carolina PT in the amount of $38,000.

“Medical billing fraud drives up the cost of healthcare and diverts critical resources from federal healthcare programs,” U.S. Attorney Lydon said.  “Whistle blower suits, like this one, are one of the government’s most effective tools at detecting fraud and protecting the integrity of our burdened healthcare system.   The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina will continue to pursue companies and providers that defraud federal health care programs.” 

“Carolina PT inflated bills sent to federal health programs, the government contended,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  “People who depend on medical care through these programs, and taxpayers who provide the funding, deserve much better.  We will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney and other law enforcement partners to safeguard these services.”  

“I applaud the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for their continued efforts to hold health care providers accountable to the American taxpayer,” said Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, director of the Defense Health Agency. “The efforts of the Department of Justice safeguard the health care benefit for our service members, veterans and their families. The Defense Health Agency continues to work closely with the Justice Department, and other state and federal agencies to investigate all those who participated in fraudulent practices.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (“DCIS”) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”).  The civil settlement was reached by Assistant United States Attorney Beth Warren of the Columbia office.

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

 

If you suspect Medicare or Medicaid fraud please report it by phone at 1-800-447-8477 (1-800-HHS-TIPS), or E-Mail at HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov.

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Columbia, South Carolina – United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina; the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services; SC Department of Employment and Workforce; SC Works; SC Vocational Rehabilitation; SC Department of Social Services; and the United States Probation Office are continuing their statewide partnership to help individuals with prior criminal backgrounds secure employment.

The Third Annual Central Reentry Job Fair & Expo will be held Wednesday, May 15, 2019, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Dutch Square Mall, located at 421 Bush River Road, Columbia, SC 29210.

This job fair, which is intended as a resource for Midlands residents, is part of a series of events held annually in Florence, the Midlands, the Lowcountry, and the Upstate.  The partner organizations have tailored the expo to help people with a criminal record overcome the particular obstacles they face after returning home.

The fair and expo will include area employers friendly to hiring individuals with a criminal background and other organizations who provide resources for returning citizens. 

Professional dress is required.  As always, the event will feature workshops on how to seek expungements and pardons of prior criminal convictions. 

Interested employers or vendors should inquire with Rosalind Harps at (803) 313-7386 or rcharps@dew.sc.gov.  Job seekers should contact Jake Bookard of the United States Probation Office at jake_bookard@scp.uscourts.gov; or George Whitehead of the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services at (803) 734-9143, (803) 667-1258, or george.whitehead@ppp.sc.gov with questions about the event.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Chester County Sheriff George Alexander “Big A” Underwood, 55, of Chester; Chester County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Johnny Ricardo Neal, Jr., 39, of Lancaster; and Chester County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Robert Andrew Sprouse, 44, of Chester, were indicted in federal court on an eight-count indictment related to a conspiracy to cover up an unlawful arrest and an excessive use of force.

“Today, we announce the worst kind of charges:  Allegations of wrongdoing on the part of law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “Those who swear to protect and uphold the law, while at the same time using their positions of power to hide their own violations of the law, will be held accountable.  The American system of government depends on those in power obeying the rules and ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly and equally.”

Count One of the Indictment alleges that on November 20, 2018, law enforcement personnel from Chester County Sheriff’s Office, including Underwood, Neal, and Sprouse, responded to a car accident and fleeing suspect in Fort Lawn.  A resident living nearby, identified in the Indictment as K.S., used his cellphone to live-stream the law enforcement activity.  Underwood asked K.S. to stay on his porch, but K.S. remained in his yard.  Underwood returned 25 minutes later, directing K.S. to retreat to his porch.

Underwood then followed K.S. onto his porch, lunged out to grab and restrain K.S. by his torso, and demanded that K.S. turn over his cellphone.  After restraining K.S., Underwood stated that he was attempting to place K.S. under arrest.  Neal placed K.S. in handcuffs and escorted him to a vehicle for transport to the detention center.  In doing so, Neal knocked K.S. to the ground while K.S. was restrained in handcuffs, injuring K.S.’s head and elbow.  Neal then directed the transport office to place a “hold” on K.S., causing him to be held in jail for three nights.

Underwood and Sprouse learned that K.S. had live-streamed the video from his cellphone onto the Internet.  Underwood and Sprouse then announced that a radio had been lost during the seizure of K.S.  Sprouse and Neal then directed subordinate deputies to draft a search warrant that would allow them to enter K.S’s home.  Sprouse entered K.S.’s home without a warrant, searching for the cellphone.  He directed a subordinate deputy to dial a phone number in an effort to identify the target phone by making it ring.  Sprouse ultimately removed a cellphone from K.S’s home without consent.  Sprouse then delivered that phone to a Sheriff’s deputy in charge of evidence collection.

In January 2019, Sprouse and Neal created an incident report containing false statements about K.S.’s seizure, and Underwood and Sprouse created and signed a disciplinary report shifting the blame to the deputy in charge of evidence collection for taking the phone following the seizure of K.S.  Also in January 2019, Underwood and Sprouse made false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concerning the seizure of K.S. and the cellphone. 

This Count carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Count Two alleges that Underwood violated K.S.’s rights while acting under color of law by seizing K.S. without probable cause to believe K.S. committed a crime, causing him to be detained in jail for three nights.  This Count carries a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison.

Count Three alleges that Neal violated K.S.’s rights while acting under color of law by knocking K.S. to the ground while he was handcuffed, resulting in bodily injury to K.S.  This Count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

Count Four alleges that Underwood and Sprouse tampered with the cellphone, attempting to alter, destroy, or conceal it with the intent to impair its integrity or availability for use in the federal case involving the deprivation of K.S.’s rights.  This Count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Count Five alleges that Neal and Sprouse falsified a record with the intent to impede a federal investigation by creating a false incident report indicating that K.S. repeatedly left his yard to enter the roadway and that K.S. directed profane language toward them – when in fact K.S. did neither – and caused that report to go to the FBI.  This Count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Count Six alleges that Underwood and Sprouse falsified a record with the intent to impede a federal investigation by creating and signing a disciplinary report shifting blame to the deputy in charge of evidence collection for taking the cellphone following K.S.’s seizure, and caused that report to go to the FBI.  This Count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Count Seven alleges that Underwood made a false statement to the FBI on May 3, 2019, representing that he first viewed K.S.’s video recording about a week after the incident, when in fact he viewed the recording on the date of the incident.  This Count carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Count Eight alleges that Sprouse made a false statement to the FBI on January 8, 2019, representing that he did not know how a cellphone was removed from K.S.’s home, when in fact he removed the phone.  This Count carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

“We will never shy away from bringing these types of cases,” continued U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “We will work day in and day out to make sure our citizens in Chester and across South Carolina can have confidence in their public servants, their government, and certainly their police officers.”

“It is paramount that law enforcement maintain the trust of the public which it serves,” said Jody Norris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI.  “These charges are a reminder that nobody is above the law.  We will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of law enforcement misconduct, and we are grateful to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for their assistance in this case.”

Underwood, Neal, and Sprouse will make their initial appearances at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 21, at the Matthew J. Perry Federal Courthouse in Columbia.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alyssa Leigh Richardson and William Camden Lewis of the Columbia office.

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

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20190507_-_indictment.pdf

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated that Brenda Rodgers, age 57, of Saluda, pleaded guilty to Filing a False Tax Return.  United States District Court Judge Timothy Cain, of Anderson, accepted the plea and will sentence Rodgers after receiving and reviewing a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office.  

Evidence presented at the hearing established that from 2012 through 2016, Rodgers was an employee of a property and casualty insurance agency located in Columbia.  Rodgers embezzled by writing checks from a particular client’s account to herself and forging the name of her supervisor.  During the tax years 2012 through 2016, Rodgers wrote herself 325 checks totaling over $337,000.  Rodgers concealed her activity by making false entries in the accounting records and on check stubs.  She also removed pages from the bank statements that contained photocopies of the checks transferring funds into her bank account.  By creating false entries and removing bank records, Rodgers avoided reporting taxable income associated with her embezzlement.  As a result, she avoided tax payments totaling $78,892 for the years 2012 through 2016.  As for Count 4 of the Indictment, to which she pleaded guilty, the additional tax she owed that year was at least $27,222.

Rodgers confessed to deputies of the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, explaining that she used the money to pay bills, make car payments, and pay off her mortgage. 

The maximum penalty Rodgers faces is three years in federal prison and a fine of $100,000.  

The United States Internal Revenue Service and the Richland County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Winston David Holliday, Jr., of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Tavares Antonio Cromer, age 25, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced to over three years in federal prison after pleading guilty in December 2018 to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Evidence presented in court established that on March 9, 2018, Columbia Police Department officers stopped a vehicle on Bailey Street to investigate suspicious activity. Officers could smell marijuana as they approached the vehicle, and a small amount of marijuana was seen in a glass jar on the front seat. During a search of the vehicle’s glove compartment, three loaded firearms were found. One of the firearms was reported stolen out of Rock Hill. Cromer claimed possession of the firearms, which he had placed inside the glove box immediately prior to the traffic stop.

Federal law prohibits Cromer from possessing firearms based on 2014 convictions for assault and battery by mob 3rd degree, assault and battery 1st degree, and strong arm robbery.      

United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., of Columbia, accepted Cromer’s guilty plea and sentenced him to 40 months in federal prison, followed by a term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Assistant United States Attorneys William E. Day, II, and Christopher D. Taylor of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Columbia Police Department.  It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases.  Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of 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.

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Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Johnathan Clayton, age 39, of Charleston, South Carolina, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to bank robbery by force, violence, and intimidation. 

Evidence presented to the court showed that on October 13, 2017, at approximately 11:35 a.m., a bank on Broad Street was robbed by a black male, approximately 30 years old and 6’7” tall.  The bank teller stated that the man was wearing a work uniform and demanded money from the teller’s drawer or he would shoot her.  The teller did not see a gun, but the male had his left arm by his side and looked as though he was concealing something near his left pant pocket.  He began to count down from five and told the teller to “stop procrastinating.” After he received approximately $1,860, he fled the bank on foot. 

City of Charleston Police Department officers reviewed the surveillance video and determined that the suspect was Johnathan Clayton. The bank teller and other witnesses at the bank were able to positively identify Clayton as the suspect in a photo lineup.

United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Clayton to a total of 96 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.  

This case was investigated by the Charleston City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Assistant United States Attorney Emily Limehouse of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Reggie Denard Goodwin, age 47, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced to over 5 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine and to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on March 13, 2018, deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department stopped Goodwin’s vehicle after observing a traffic violation.  Deputies smelled marijuana and asked Goodwin, the driver, to exit the vehicle. Goodwin actively resisted arrest, struck the officer’s arm, and tried to flee. A loaded .380 caliber handgun, which was later determined to be stolen, was found in Goodwin’s pocket. Inside the car, deputies located a digital scale and baggies of cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana. After waiving his rights, Goodwin admitted that he tried to run because he had drugs and a gun. Goodwin was arrested on state charges and released on state bond.

Three months later, while out on that state bond from the March 2018 drug and gun offenses, Goodwin was involved in a high speed chase on June 1, 2018, after Richland County Sheriff’s Department deputies attempted to stop his truck for a traffic violation. The chase ensued through highly populated areas of Columbia, including Devine Street and Garners Ferry Road. During the chase, a deputy observed Goodwin throwing baggies out of his truck. Goodwin lost control and wrecked his truck as he crossed into oncoming traffic over a raised median at the on-ramp to I-77. Goodwin exited the truck with a handgun in his hands, which he tossed into the brush when he attempted to flee. Goodwin resisted arrest and struggled with deputies. He was arrested on state charges and released again on state bond. Thereafter, a federal complaint and arrest warrant were issued. Goodwin was arrested and remains in federal custody.

Federal law prohibits Goodwin from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon prior state convictions for possession of cocaine and possession of crack cocaine (1990); burglary 2nd degree (1990); grand larceny (1991); receiving stolen goods (1994); forgery (1996); burglary 2nd degree/strong arm robbery, possession of crack cocaine, and grand larceny (1996); burglary 2nd degree and grand larceny (1996); possession with intent to distribute marijuana (2006); and possession of crack cocaine (2006).

Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., sentenced Goodwin to 63 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 6-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 Richland County Sheriff’s Department. It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of 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 Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

 

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Gary D. Newsome, former CEO of Health Management Associates LLC (HMA),  a hospital chain that was headquartered in Naples, Florida, has agreed to pay the United States $3.46 million to settle allegations that he caused HMA to knowingly submit false claims to government health care programs by admitting patients who could have been treated on a less costly, outpatient basis, the Department of Justice announced. The settlement also resolves allegations that Newsome caused HMA to pay remuneration to Emergency Department (ED) physicians in return for referrals.  

“Those who bill federal health care programs for unnecessary hospital stays will be held accountable for wasting federal dollars,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “Patients deserve the unfettered, independent judgment of their health care professionals. We will pursue those who cause hospitals to offer financial incentives to physicians in return for improper patient referrals that undermine the integrity of our health care system.”

“A physician’s health care decisions should be driven by what is in the patient’s best interest, not by what helps line a provider’s pockets,” said Barbara Bowens, the Acting U.S. Attorney for South Carolina for purposes of this case. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate false claims based on unnecessary hospital admissions, which drive up health care costs and can harm patients.”

“Providers are expected to closely follow rules and bill properly. Further, in this case, the government contended that Newsome directed illegal payments for referrals,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Taxpayer money wasted is money stolen from vital government health programs.”

The settlement resolves allegations that Newsome caused HMA to pressure ED physicians to increase inpatient admissions by recommending admission without regard to medical necessity. The government claimed that the inpatient admission of these beneficiaries was not medically necessary, and that the care needed by, and provided to, these beneficiaries should have been provided in a less costly outpatient or observation setting. Hospitals generally receive significantly higher payments from Medicare for inpatient admissions as opposed to outpatient treatment; therefore, the admission of beneficiaries who do not need inpatient care, as alleged here, can result in substantial financial harm to the Medicare program. 

The United States also alleged that Newsome caused HMA to pay remuneration to EmCare, a company that provided physicians to staff HMA hospital EDs, to recommend admission when patients should have been treated on an outpatient basis.  As part of the alleged scheme, Newsome caused HMA to make certain bonus payments to EmCare ED physicians and tied EmCare’s retention of existing contracts and receipt of new contracts to increased admissions of patients who came to the ED.

Newsome served as CEO of HMA from September 2008 through July 2013. HMA was acquired by Community Health Systems Inc. (CHS), another hospital chain, in January 2014, after the alleged conduct at HMA occurred. 

HMA and EmCare have already resolved their liability to the government for these allegations. In September 2018 HMA entered into a civil settlement under which it paid $61.8 million.  Simultaneously, HMA entered into a Non-Prosecution Agreement (NPA) with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section under which it paid a $35 million monetary penalty. In addition, an HMA subsidiary that formerly owned one hospital pled guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, and paid a $3.25 million fine. In December 2017, EmCare paid $29.6 million to resolve these allegations.   

This settlement resolves a lawsuit originally filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina by Jacqueline Meyer, a former employee of EmCare, and J. Michael Cowling, a former employee of HMA, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private citizens to bring lawsuits on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. Meyer and Cowling will receive approximately $725,000 from the settlement. The case was transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and is United States ex rel. Meyer & Cowling v. HMA, Inc., 1:14-cv-00586-RBW (D.D.C).

The settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.    

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. 

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Ashley E. Browning, age 32, of Union, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to preparing and presenting false tax returns.  United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain of Anderson sentenced Browning to 2 years in federal prison and ordered that she pay over $200,000 in restitution to the federal government. 

Evidence presented to the court established that Browning prepared and filed, and assisted in preparing and filing of, multiple tax returns for customers in exchange for fees.  Browning carried out this conduct from her home in Union County and also from the homes of her customers who resided in and around Union County.  Browning repeatedly falsified information in returns she prepared in order to generate fraudulent refunds.  For example, Browning repeatedly submitted false information about customers’ income, federal withholding, and educational expenses.  Because of this pattern of falsification, the Government issued approximately $200,000 more in refunds than it would have if accurate and honest information had been submitted by Browning. 

The case was investigated by agents with the Internal Revenue Service and the Union City Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Lydon today encouraged public participation in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s 17th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.  The biannual event will take place this Saturday, April 27, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at thousands of collection sites around the country, including 66 here in South Carolina.  National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is an effort to remove opioids and other medicines from the nation’s homes, where they are vulnerable to misuse, theft, or abuse by family members and visitors, including children and teens.

“Opioid fatalities in South Carolina swelled by 700% between 2002 and 2017,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “Working together, we can break the vicious cycle of drug abuse, addiction, and overdose that has devastated countless families across our state.  The DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is an opportunity to safely dispose of your prescription drugs, helping to keep dangerous narcotics out of the wrong hands and to stop opioid addiction before it starts.”

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division said, “Addressing the problem of the abuse of controlled pharmaceuticals continues to be one of DEA’s top priorities. One way to address this issue is to encourage the public to properly remove their unwanted, unused, and dated prescription medications from their homes. DEA and its law enforcement, tribal, and community partners are holding its seventeenth take-back event in order to child proof and teen proof homes so that these medications cannot be abused. I invite you to do your part in the midst of this opioid crisis as we strive to make our communities safer.”

Last October, South Carolinians participating in DEA’s Drug Take Back Day turned in 7,526 pounds of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal.  Overall, in its 16 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in over 11 million pounds—more than 5,400 tons—of pills.  The disposal service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.  (The DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps.  It can accept only pills or patches.)

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose.  Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin:  Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.

Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards.  This initiative addresses the public safety and public health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.

For more information or to locate a collection site near you, visit https://takebackday.dea.gov/#collection-locator.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Jonathan Donnell Thompson, a/k/a “Joe-Nae,” a/k/a “Jonathan Joe Nate Thompson,” age 37, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal firearms from a federal firearms licensee.

Evidence presented to the court showed on August 5, 2016, Tony’s Guns and Police Supplies, a federal firearms licensee in Sumter, was burglarized and approximately 75 handguns were stolen. The investigation revealed similarities between that burglary and other burglaries of liquor stores in several counties. Law enforcement was able to identify Cedrick K. Reddick, age 26, of Columbia, as one of the suspects after a DNA match linked him to a burglary of one of the liquor stores. Additionally, a search warrant at Reddick’s apartment revealed a 9mm handgun stolen during the burglary of Tony’s Guns and Police Supplies. Both Thompson and his co-defendant Reddick were charged federally with the gun store theft. Of the 75 firearms stolen, only 21 of them have been recovered by law enforcement, some in the hands of felons who are prohibited from possessing firearms and were prosecuted federally.

Thompson has prior state convictions for driving under suspension (two separate counts), forgery less than $5,000, simple possession of marijuana (two separate counts), possession of cocaine (two separate counts), and receiving stolen goods. One week prior to this August 5, 2016 incident, Thompson pleaded guilty in Richland County to malicious injury to real property stemming from a February 2016 attempted burglary at a Columbia liquor store.

United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Thompson to 48 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

Thompson’s co-defendant Reddick was sentenced on April 12, 2019, to a total of 84 months (7 years) in federal prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. That 84-month sentence is comprised of 70 months on the new firearm convictions and a consecutive 14-month revocation of his prior federal supervision.

The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Clinton Police Department, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of 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 Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Anthony James Edward Hunt, 24, of Columbia, South Carolina, pleaded guilty in federal court to the distribution of oxycodone resulting in death.

        Evidence presented to the court showed that in January 2016, Hunt sold a former University of South Carolina student, named in the indictment as R.B., alprazolam tablets on January 24 and 26, 2016, after R.B. expressed her desire to commit suicide.  When the alprazolam tablets failed to cause R.B. to die, Hunt advised R.B. that she could take her life by ingesting oxycodone tablets, and he provided her with detailed instructions on how to consume the oxycodone pills.  On January 27, 2016, Hunt sold R.B. ten 30-milligram oxycodone tablets.  The next day, R.B. was found deceased in her apartment.  Experts opined that R.B.’s death was caused by an oxycodone overdose.  After his arrest, Hunt admitted to law enforcement that he distributed the oxycodone to R.B. knowing that she intended to commit suicide.

        Hunt faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.  United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Hunt after receiving and reviewing a presentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

        “This case reveals the dangers associated with the illegal distribution of prescription drugs, particularly opioids,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will never tire in our fight for justice for victims of unscrupulous drug dealers, and we will continue to work with law enforcement and community leaders to stem the tide of an epidemic that has devastated countless American families.”

        The charges against Hunt were the result of an investigation led by Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Adam Roberson, with the assistance of the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, Richland County Coroner’s Office, Columbia Police Department, University of South Carolina Police Department, and Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. 

        Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Garner of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.

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Columbia, SC - United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Thomas Brock, age 62, of Camden, South Carolina, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud.

According to information presented during his guilty plea and sentencing, Brock was involved in a decade-long scheme to defraud the government in the acquisition of military construction contracts. Under programs instituted by the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), certain military and federal government contracts are specifically set aside for award to minorities, women, and service veterans. These programs are intended to provide small businesses with an opportunity for growth and experience working through the federal government. 

Brock was an executive with Boykin Contracting and used various straw-owners within the company to pose as a female, an African-American, a disabled person, and a veteran in order to qualify for over $160 million dollars’ worth of these government construction contracts. Based on information presented in court, Brock illegally acquired the contracts and siphoned money from the company to support a lavish lifestyle. The scheme fell apart when Brock fraudulently acquired loans to cover the company’s losses and fell behind on the repayments, prompting a civil lawsuit and a criminal investigation.

United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia sentenced Brock to 51 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

“Companies who wish to obtain federal contracts set aside for businesses run by women, minorities, veterans, or those with disabilities must play by the rules,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “We will not tolerate those who cheat the system for their own gain, victimizing the government, the companies who should have received these valuable benefits, and the American taxpayer.”

“Providing false statements to obtain federal contracts set aside for small businesses owned and operated by disadvantaged individuals and our nation’s veterans will be met with justice,” said SBA Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware.  “Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that those responsible will be held accountable.  I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their support and dedication to pursuing justice in this case.”

"This sentencing is the product of a thorough investigation and demonstrates the commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and our law enforcement partners to hold corrupt contractors accountable when they scam small businesses owned by veterans and other disadvantaged individuals,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig, Jr., DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office.  “DCIS will continue to protect the integrity of the Department of Defense by rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse that negatively impacts the welfare of men and women who have served, and continue to serve, our nation."

"This sentencing is the culmination of more than five years of investigative work by our agents and our law enforcement partners," said Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command's Major Procurement Fraud Unit. "Abusing the laws established to protect small businesses and businesses owned by disabled veterans to line your pockets is truly disgraceful."

The case was investigated primarily by the SBA, DCIS, and VA and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney T. DeWayne Pearson of the Columbia office.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that former South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) Officer Joshua Cave, 30, of Allendale, South Carolina, was sentenced to 6 months in federal prison and 6 months of probation after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud.

          Evidence presented to the court showed that SCDC inmates paid Cave bribes in exchange for smuggling alcohol into Allendale Correctional Institute. Evidence showed that Cave received at least ten bribes amounting to over one thousand dollars.

          United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia sentenced Cave to 6 months in federal prison and 6 months of probation, to be followed by a 2-year term of court-ordered supervision. 

          “We are grateful for the women and men at the South Carolina Department of Corrections who put on their uniform every day and work hard to protect inmates, prison staff, and the general public,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “But this case should serve as a warning to those employees who would violate the public trust by smuggling contraband into our corrections facilities:  If you bring contraband into our prisons, you will end up in prison.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to stand with SCDC as we root out corruption in our prison system.”

          “We will pursue prison time for any correctional officer or staff member who brings contraband into an SCDC institution,” S.C. Department of Corrections Director Bryan Stirling said.  “A correctional officer holds a position of public trust.  If he or she violates that trust, it puts fellow officers, staff, inmates, and the public at risk.  This kind of conduct will not be tolerated.”

          Cave is one of 19 former SCDC employees—including corrections officers, a nurse, and food service employees—indicted on federal charges related to accepting bribes and bringing contraband into South Carolina prisons.  Defendants Douglas Hawkins, Shatara Wilson, and Shakeel Malik Monroe have pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud and await sentencing. 

          The case was investigated by The Federal Bureau of Investigation and South Carolina Department of Corrections Police Services.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Camden Lewis of the Columbia office.

Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Cedrick K. Reddick, age 26, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced to a total of 7 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal firearms from a federal firearms licensee (“FFL”) and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence presented to the court showed on August 5, 2016, a FFL in Sumter, South Carolina, was burglarized and approximately 75 handguns were stolen. The investigation revealed similarities between that burglary and other burglaries of liquor stores in several counties. Through the investigation, law enforcement was able to identify Reddick as one of the suspects after a DNA match linked him to a burglary of one of the liquor stores. Additionally, a search warrant at Reddick’s apartment revealed a 9mm handgun stolen during the burglary of the FFL. Both Reddick and his co-defendant Jonathan Thompson were charged federally with the gun store theft. Thompson is awaiting sentencing in federal court after previously pleading guilty.

Federal law prohibits Reddick from possessing firearms based upon a prior South Carolina conviction for burglary 2nd degree and a prior New Jersey federal conviction for transportation of stolen firearms. At the time of this incident, Reddick was on federal supervised release after serving time on the prior New Jersey federal conviction.  Reddick’s prior federal supervision was revoked as a result of this new criminal conduct.

United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Reddick to a total of 84 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. That 84-month sentence is comprised of 70 months imprisonment on the new firearm convictions and a consecutive 14-month revocation of his prior federal supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Clinton Police Department, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of 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 Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Quintrell Morris, age 20, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced to over 22 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to use/carry/possess/brandish firearms during and in relation to and in furtherance of a crime of violence, use/carry/possess/brandish firearms during and in relation to and in furtherance of a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Evidence presented to the court showed that in the early morning hours of December 30, 2017, deputies with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office responded to 911 call referencing a home invasion on Maple View Drive. Upon approaching the residence, deputies noticed the door open, entered the home, and found two armed men, Morris and his co-defendant Brandon Thompson. After detaining both Morris and Thompson, deputies located a female, who had been tied up, and her children, one of whom had called 911. The female advised that they had forced her to open a safe and give them the money from it. Deputies seized a loaded Bushmaster AR-15 .223 caliber assault rifle from Morris and a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun from Thompson. A ballistic vest was also seized from Thompson’s vehicle, which was located nearby. The investigation revealed that Morris and Thompson went to this home in an effort to rob the homeowners of proceeds from various businesses they operated.

Federal law prohibits both Morris and Thompson from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon their prior state convictions. Morris, a gang member who had just been placed on state probation two months prior to the incident, has prior state convictions for possession of a stolen motor vehicle and unlawful carrying of a weapon.  Thompson has prior state convictions for armed robbery and assault with intent to kill. Thompson has also plead guilty in federal court and is awaiting sentencing.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Morris to a total of 272 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 5-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 Lexington County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of 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 Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina – United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office has joined with state and local partners to honor National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.  Events included the South Carolina Victims’ Rights Week Conference, held April 2-4, and a Unity Ceremony on April 2. 

Each April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorneys’ offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf.  This year’s observance takes place April 7-13, with the theme: Honoring Our Past. Creating Hope for the Future.  The annual observance is an opportunity to bring victim advocates, law enforcement, and crime victims together to increase awareness of victims’ rights and provider services.  It serves as a way to honor the courage and resilience demonstrated by those impacted by crimes and to pay homage to the advocates serving them. 

“Victims of crime deserve justice.  This Department works every day to help them recover and to find, prosecute, and convict those who have done them harm,” said Attorney General William P. Barr.  “During this National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we pause to remember the millions of Americans who have been victims of crime and we thank public servants who have served them in especially heroic ways.  This week the men and women of the Department recommit ourselves once again to ensuring that crime victims continue to have a voice in our legal system, to securing justice for them, and to preventing other Americans from suffering what they have endured."

“The women and men in the U.S. Attorney’s Office work hard every day to uphold the rule of law, to keep the citizens of South Carolina safe, and to seek justice for victims of crime and their loved ones,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.   This National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we are honored to join victim advocates, law enforcement, and the community in remembering victims of crime and paying tribute to the public servants and advocates who serve, encourage, and empower them.  We are especially grateful to Brittany Todd, who shared the story of her assault and her daughter’s kidnapping and delivered an inspiring message of hope at this year’s Unity Ceremony.  Our office will forever be amazed at Brittany’s strength and resilience.”

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The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week each year. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in 1981 to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.  More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.

 

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that the federal Bureau of Prisons conducted a pilot test of micro-jamming technology this week at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina.  The test was the first collaboration of its kind in a state corrections facility.  It was conducted to determine if micro-jamming could disable cell signals and prevent wireless communication by inmates using contraband cellphones in a housing unit.

“I am so encouraged by what I observed firsthand standing in a cellblock beside SCDC Director Bryan Stirling, as federal officials tested cellphone micro-jamming technology,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “The technology was designed and deployed to block signals from contraband cellphones inside the prison, while ensuring that there was no interference with wireless signals used by the public outside the facility.  It is incredibly promising to see the potential for technology to address contraband cellphones in prisons, which for years have threatened our corrections and law enforcement officers and our community.”

Contraband cellphones pose a significant safety threat to the general public, prison workers, and other inmates.  In partnership with the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina has brought a number of cases against both inmates using contraband phones to harm the public and SCDC employees smuggling contraband—including cellphones—into prisons.  For example, the office has recently prosecuted inmates who have used contraband phones to move large quantities of methamphetamine from California to South Carolina; access the dark web and buy a mail bomb intended to kill an ex-wife; and defraud members of the military of over $560,000 through a “sextortion” scheme.

“I am so grateful to Director Stirling, who has led the effort to allow state and local prisons to jam cell signals and made the entire country aware of the need for this tool,” Lydon said.  “He should be applauded for his tireless efforts to protect both the general public and the prison population from the safety threat posed by contraband cellphones.  This is a game changer for law enforcement who work to protect the public from criminal enterprises run from within prisons.”

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Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Brandon Cory Lecroy, age 26, of Greenwood, South Carolina, was sentenced to ten years in the Federal Bureau of Prisons after pleading guilty to murder for hire.  United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks of Charleston sentenced Lecroy to the statutory maximum for the offense, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

Evidence presented to the court established that the Federal Bureau of Investigation received information that Lecroy had contacted a white supremacist organization to seek assistance with the murder of his African American neighbor.  The FBI was able to direct Lecroy to an undercover agent, who posed as a hitman to determine if Lecroy was serious about causing harm to his neighbor.  On March 20, 2018, via a recorded telephone conversation, Lecroy made an arrangement with the undercover agent to pay for the murder of his neighbor.  During the phone call, Lecroy told the agent “$500 and he’s a ghost.”  In other words, Lecroy offered to pay $500 for the death of his neighbor.  In the same conversation, Lecroy also made a request to put a “flaming cross” in the front yard and have the neighbor hung from a tree.  Lecroy also made statements about taking over the neighbor’s property once the murder was accomplished. 

On April 9, 2018, Lecroy met with the undercover agent in Greenwood.  During this meeting, Lecroy pointed out the neighbor’s residence and discussed future targets he wanted killed or maimed.  Lecroy also provided the agent with a $100 cash down payment.  After the exchange of funds, law enforcement officers descended on the scene and arrested Lecroy without incident.  

The case was investigated by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today one of the largest health care fraud schemes in the history of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID).  The announcement was made at a press conference at Palmetto GBA in Columbia, South Carolina, a Medicare administration contractor whose payment safeguarding services seek to eliminate Medicare abuse, fraud, and waste. 

Operation Brace Yourself, which originated in South Carolina, has resulted in the execution of over 80 search warrants in 17 federal districts and charges against 24 defendants so far. These defendants include owners, managers, and others associated with six telemedicine companies, the owners of dozens of durable medical equipment (DME) companies, and three licensed medical professionals.  The alleged health care fraud scheme involves more than $1 billion in loss.

“Simply put, the law applies equally to all in South Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “The same spoon that serves indictments on drug dealers, felons in possession of firearms, and corrupt officials will also feed those companies and individuals who engage in Medicare fraud.  White collar crime is not victimless.  All taxpayers will endure the rising cost of health care premiums and out-of-pocket costs as a result of fraud on our Medicare system.  I am honored to stand with our partners at the FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CID, who led this outstanding and nationally significant investigation from right here in South Carolina.”

“This case demonstrates the ability of the FBI in South Carolina to successfully investigate the most expansive and complex of investigations.  Wherever facts take us, the FBI is always ready to pursue perpetrators and bring them to justice,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jody Norris.

“Health care fraud schemes, such as the massive, sweeping operations charged here, divert desperately needed funding from government health programs and the people they serve,” said Derrick Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General for the region including South Carolina.  “Working closely with our law enforcement partners we are dedicated to disrupting schemes of health care organization owners, managers, licensed medical professionals, and others intent on enriching themselves at the expense of U.S. taxpayers.  All contemplating such ill-gotten gains should expect aggressive investigation and prosecution.”      

“The American tax system is designed to provide vital government services to our citizens. It is not a slush fund for thieves and fraudsters,” said IRS-CID Special Agent in Charge Matthew D. Line. “IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to unraveling complex financial transactions and money laundering schemes where individuals attempt to conceal the true source of funds.  We stand committed with our partners to pursue and prosecute those involved to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Palmetto GBA is committed to assisting law enforcement and other agencies in their efforts to identify and prevent Medicare fraud. Protecting the Medicare program from fraud is important to all of us, including the seniors that rely on Medicare for their health benefits, the providers that furnish their care, and the taxpayers who pay for it,” said Palmetto GBA President and COO Joe Johnson.

The charges announced today aggressively target an entire scheme of health care fraud, from the initial kickback through the billing of Medicare. The alleged scheme began with payments of kickbacks by DME companies to an offshore call center. The call center purchased advertisements that targeted Medicare beneficiaries. The calls were routed overseas and to call centers run by members of the conspiracy. The call centers “up-sold” the beneficiaries to get them to accept numerous “free or low-cost” DME braces, regardless of medical necessity. The caller was then routed to medical professionals working with fraudulent telemedicine companies for back, shoulder, wrist and knee braces that were often medically unnecessary. 

Certain members of the conspiracy allegedly controlled an international telemarketing network that lured over hundreds of thousands of elderly or disabled patients into a criminal scheme that crossed borders.  They allegedly paid doctors to prescribe DME either without any patient interaction or with only a brief telephonic conversation with patients they had never met or even set eyes on.  The physicians’ “prescriptions” were then sent back to the call center, which provided the “prescription” and other information to the DME companies. Two dropship companies that were indicted would then ship low-cost Chinese made braces to the Medicare patients. The DME companies would then fraudulently bill Medicare. The proceeds of the scheme were laundered through international shell corporations and used to purchase exotic automobiles, yachts, and luxury real estate. 

In the District of South Carolina, charges were brought against Andrew Chmiel, 43, of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, and companies in which he had an ownership interest—including 10 DME companies, two dropship companies, and two additional companies that facilitated the fraud—for their alleged participation in a $200 million scheme related to the payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary DME orders.  The charges are the result of an extensive investigation by the FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CID.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim May and Will Lewis of the Columbia office.

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Greenville, South Carolina-------United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Travis Dale Brady, age 36, of Greenville, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Greenville after pleading guilty to a murder for hire charge.  United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Brady to the statutory maximum term of 120 months in federal prison, followed by court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented to the court established that Brady was terminated from his employment with a Greenville business in 2016.  In 2017, he began to make comments and plans indicating that he wanted to seek revenge on those he deemed responsible for his job loss.  As Brady made contact with various persons, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was notified and initiated an investigation.  During an approximately year-long investigation, Brady met with undercover FBI agents and confidential sources with whom he discussed plans that initially involved setting off a truck bomb at a business site of his former employer, but later evolved into sending a mail bomb to the home of a couple he deemed most responsible for his firing.  During the investigation, Brady sought the assistance of his colleagues.  Unknown to Brady at the time, those colleagues were undercover FBI agents and confidential sources.  The plan culminated on March 15, 2018, after Brady ordered a mail bomb from an undercover operative and then paid $100 to have the bomb placed in the mail.  It was Brady’s intent to have the bomb “exterminate” the couple.  Agents from the FBI then arrested Brady. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen of the Greenville office.

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Greenville, South Carolina-------United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Michael Bruce Messer, Jr., age 51, of Greenville, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Greenville after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Messer to the statutory maximum term of 120 months in federal prison, followed by court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented to the court established that on April 11, 2018, Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) went to Messer’s residence to meet with him.  While there, they recovered a .38 caliber pistol.  Then on May 9, 2018, Special Agents of the FBI and ATF returned to the residence with a search warrant and recovered another .38 caliber pistol, .38 caliber ammunition, and assorted items related to ISIS. During their investigation, the FBI had determined that Messer had posted a message in an online forum that he was interested in joining ISIS and volunteering to be a suicide bomber.

Federal law prohibits Messer from possessing firearms based upon his prior state and federal convictions running from 1986 to 2018.  Messer’s prior convictions include grand larceny, burglary, forgery, and possession of a firearm by a felon.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of 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 Max Cauthen of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

 

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Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Marilyn Kirkland was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns.  Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., of Columbia, sentenced Kirkland to 27 months in federal prison. The judge further ordered that Kirkland repay $903,402 in restitution and, after her release from the Bureau of Prisons, that she serve one year of court-ordered supervision.

Evidence presented to the court showed that from 2014 through 2016, Marilyn Kirkland operated a tax return preparation business in Columbia, South Carolina.  Kirkland fraudulently increased her clients’ tax refunds by preparing returns that reported fictitious income and expenses for businesses in order to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit.  Kirkland also included false education credits.  In total, Kirkland prepared approximately 500 fraudulent tax returns that included over $900,000 in false claims from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Agents of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorney John C. Potterfield of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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Greenville, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Mark Betancourt, age 35, Joseph Sansosti, age 26, and Juan Betancourt, age 26, all of Greenville, South Carolina, were sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery, Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery, and Brandishing a Firearm in Furtherance of Hobbs Act Robbery.  Senior United States District Judge Henry M. Herlong, Jr., of Greenville, sentenced Mark Betancourt to 180 months in federal prison, Sansosti to 135 months in federal prison, and Juan Betancourt to 48 months in federal prison.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Each man was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $37,283.00.

Evidence presented to the court established that in May 2015, Mark Betancourt recruited his brother, Juan Betancourt, who was nearly ten years Mark’s junior, to assist him in robbing a business in Greenville, South Carolina. On May 23, 2015, Sansosti arranged to meet with Mark and Juan Betancourt. Mark Betancourt was the mastermind of the operation and drove the two younger men to the business. Sansosti and Juan Betancourt entered the store, where Sansosti placed one of the employees in a choke hold and held a gun to her head. Sansosti then dragged the employee over to the register, where the robbers took the money.

The case was investigated by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of 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 Jamie Lea Schoen of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.

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Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Larry Anthony Ladson, Jr., 29 years old, of Simpsonville, South Carolina, who was convicted by a federal jury of possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute in October 2018, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.  There is no parole in the federal system.  

The evidence presented at trial showed that in March 2018, Ladson was found hiding in a bathtub when officers with the Fountain Inn Police Department were performing a protective sweep of a residence located in Simpsonville.  Law enforcement originally arrived on scene after receiving a report of a domestic incident involving a firearm.  After initially detaining three other individuals who were connected with the location, officers were clearing the residence when they discovered Ladson fully clothed in the bathtub with the lights off at approximately 2:45 p.m.  In the adjacent bedroom, law enforcement found Ladson’s driver’s license along with other identifying documents, in addition to a digital scale and clear plastic baggies used for drug packaging in plain view.  Upon obtaining a search warrant, a further search of the bedroom revealed over 1,000 grams of methamphetamine packaged in 19 separate bags, which were concealed in a backpack and hidden under layers of Ladson’s clothes in his closet.  The majority of the bags contained approximately 56 grams of the clear, crystal substance and were packaged for distribution in two-ounce quantities.

At the time of the incident, Ladson already had a warrant out for his arrest from a federal firearms violation occurring in October 2017.  Ladson was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on the methamphetamine charge and has been in continuous custody since his March 2018 arrest.  Prior to the incident, Ladson had numerous state convictions, to include: possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (2014); possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (2014); two convictions for possession with intent to distribute marijuana (2014); burglary in the second degree, violent (2013); criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature (2013); and assault and battery in the first degree (2013).

The charges against Ladson were the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Fountain Inn Police Department.  This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative.  Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001 that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Turning the tide of rising violent crime in America is a top priority for the Department of Justice, which has reinstituted PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy.  Assistant United States Attorney Justin Holloway of the Florence office prosecuted the case.

 

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Eugene Jonathan James, age 21, of Orangeburg, South Carolina, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence presented to the court showed that at approximately 12:36 a.m. on May 27, 2017, officers with the Cayce Department of Public Safety were running radar on Knox Abbott Drive when they observed a car traveling 15-20 mph over the speed limit. After activating their blue lights and siren in an attempt to conduct a traffic stop, a chase ensued across the Blossom Street Bridge into Columbia. At one point, the driver of the car appeared to stop, but when officers approached, the car sped off again. Ultimately, the car stopped near the Riverwalk and the sole occupant/driver, later identified as James, fled on foot, disregarding officers’ commands for him to stop. James fled into the woodline off the Riverwalk and assumed a crouched position. He appeared to the officers to be lying in wait for them. After threatening to use his taser to get James to comply, one officer heard gunshots and felt pain. That officer, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, was shot in the chest and leg, and the other officer was shot in his leg. Officers returned fire and called for backup assistance.

Responding officers located James in the woodline with a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson lying at his feet. James had also been shot. Further investigation revealed that the car driven by James had been stolen during a carjacking in Orangeburg on May 14, 2017. The serial number of the firearm had been burned in an attempt to obliterate it; however, law enforcement was able to restore the serial number and determined that the gun had been stolen during the theft of a Jeep in Orangeburg on May 15, 2017. A ballistics examination of the firearm matched it to the fired bullet recovered from one of the officers’ bulletproof vests and to a May 16, 2017, shooting incident in Orangeburg.

Federal law prohibits James from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon an April 2017 Orangeburg conviction for burglary 3rd degree for which he received a probationary sentence.  At the time of the instant offense, James was on state probation and out on state bond for unrelated Richland County state armed robbery and weapon charges stemming from a March 2017 incident.         

During the sentencing hearing, the court heard from one of the officers who was shot and from his wife.  His wife said, “As a law enforcement officer’s spouse, we know the risks our loved ones take when they strap on their body armor and kiss us on the way out of the door. We know that may be the last kiss. We pray for their safety and their safe return home. As a spouse, we dread phone calls in the middle of the night and knocks on the door – especially when our loved ones are working. My nightmare became reality, with one simple phone call.”

United States District Judge Michelle Childs sentenced James to the statutory maximum of 120 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 3-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 Cayce Department of Public Safety, the Columbia Police Department, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of 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 Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that a press conference will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, April 9, 2019, at 12:00 p.m., at Palmetto GBA, 17 Technology Circle, Columbia, SC 29203.

Represented at the press conference will be the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations.

 

WHEN:       Tuesday, April 9, 2019, at 12:00 p.m.

WHERE:      Palmetto GBS

                          17 Technology Circle

                          Columbia, SC 29203

 

NOTE:  Press inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Lance Crick, 864-282-2105.  All media must present a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license).  Members of the media wishing to attend the remarks should gather in the lobby of Palmetto GBS at 11:30 a.m., 30 minutes in advance.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon authored today an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal highlighting the public safety threat posed by contraband cellphones in prisons entitled, “Let States Jam Prison Cellphones.”  U.S. Attorney Lydon also announced a series of cases the U.S. Attorney’s Office has prosecuted in federal court to help stop the flow of contraband cellphones into state prisons and punish those who use them to harm the public.

“We do not put criminals behind bars only to have them continue their criminal enterprises from inside prison,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “We will continue to use every tool available to us to stop this threat to public safety.  But until our state and local partners are permitted to jam cellphone signals in prisons, inmates with time on their hands and unrestricted access to the Internet will continue to run drug rings, scam innocent Americans, and perpetrate crimes that help them grow their wealth while incarcerated.”

South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) Director Bryan Stirling stated, “Because of contraband cellphones, criminals are physically incarcerated, however, they are virtually out there amongst us, continuing their criminal ways from behind our nation’s prison walls.” 

Among the cases the U.S. Attorney’s Office has prosecuted with the assistance of SCDC and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) are:

 

SCDC Prisoner and Co-Conspirator Sentenced to Federal Prison for Roles in Dark Web Mail Bomb Plot

In April 2018, a federal jury convicted Michael Young, Jr., and Vance Volious, Jr., both of Columbia, of dealing drugs and plotting to kill Young’s ex-wife with a mail bomb they bought with bitcoin from the Dark Web.  While incarcerated in SCDC, Young obtained a contraband cellphone, which he used to run a drug business distributing marijuana he obtained from a California supplier and from the Dark Web.  Drugs purchased by Young were shipped to a conspirator’s residence before being picked up by Volious for re-distribution.

While this drug conspiracy among Young, Volious, and others was operating, the conspirators also plotted to kill Young’s ex-wife.  This was not the first time that Young had tried to kill her; he was serving a 50-year sentence after having been convicted of attempting to kill her and of murdering her father in 2007.

In February 2017, Young accessed the Dark Web from prison on his contraband cellphone and started a dialogue with an undercover FBI agent, whom he believed to be a foreign explosives dealer.  Young paid for a mail bomb to be sent to a conspirator’s residence in Irmo and for the re-shipment label addressed to his ex-wife to be sent to Volious’ house in Columbia.

Fears obtained the labels from Volious, armed the mail bomb, and was surveilled by the FBI delivering the inert explosives package to the Post Office in Irmo on June 6, 2017.  After a United States Postal Inspector recovered the mail bomb, Young, Volious, and co-defendant Tyrell Fears, of Irmo, were arrested on federal charges.

Young and Volious were convicted of conspiracy, transport of an explosive with the intent to kill, mailing a non-mailable explosive with the intent to kill, and carrying an explosive during the commission of another felony.  Fears pleaded guilty to carrying an explosive during the commission of a felony and conspiracy.  In February 2019, Young was sentenced to 525 months in federal prison, and Fears was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison. In March 2019, Volious was sentenced to 255 months in federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Joint Terrorism Task Force, United States Postal Inspection Service, South Carolina Department of Corrections’ Division of Police Services, State Law Enforcement Division, South Carolina Information and Intelligence Center, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington Country Sheriff’s Department, Irmo Police Department, USC Division of Law Enforcement and Safety, and Columbia Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Will Lewis of the Columbia office and former Assistant United States Attorney Jay Richardson, with assistance from Dan Goldberg of the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

 

For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/scdc-prisoner-and-co-conspirator-sentenced-federal-prison-roles-dark-web-mail-bomb-plot.

  

U.S. Attorney’s Office Initiates Forfeiture Proceedings Seizing $400,000 From Prison Accounts of 15 Inmates

The U.S. Attorney’s Office recently initiated civil forfeiture proceedings in which the federal government has seized over $400,000 from the prison accounts of just 15 inmates.  According to the seizure warrants, this money was derived from unlawful activity including extortion and the distribution of narcotics and other contraband. 

 

Five Inmates Among Fifteen Defendants Indicted for Wire Fraud, Extortion, and Money Laundering Scheme at SCDC

In November 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicted 15 defendants—five of whom are inmates in SCDC—for their roles in a wire fraud, extortion, and money laundering scheme.  According to the indictments, the inmates used contraband cellphones to orchestrate a scheme to defraud members of the United States Military.  The inmates, using smartphones, joined Internet dating websites and posed as young women seeking a romantic relationship with young men in the military.   They downloaded nude pictures, pretended to be the women in the pictures, and sent them to the servicemen.  They then asked the service members to text nude pictures and other personal information in return. 

After exchanging nude pictures and other personal information, the inmates called the service members and claimed to be the young woman’s father.  The inmates told the service members that the “daughter” was a minor and threatened to notify law enforcement that the service member was exchanging nude pictures with a minor unless the service member paid money.  The inmates used various means to extort the service members, often claiming that the money was needed to replace the computer or to pay medical bills for the trauma that the “underage daughter” suffered from the sexually explicit text messages.  On occasion, the inmates impersonated law enforcement or lawyers to further the scheme. 

The inmates then directed the service members to wire money to individuals in South Carolina.  To assist in the scheme, the inmates recruited others outside of the prisons to retrieve the money that was wired by the service members and transfer the money to the inmates, often keeping some of the proceeds.  In some instances, these individuals provided the inmates with debit card numbers so they could access the criminal proceeds in prison via contraband cellphones.  Other times, the individuals wired the money directly into the inmates’ prison accounts.

In total, the “sextortion” schemes resulted in 442 service members paying a total of more than $560,000.  The service members involved were from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.  The five inmates who have been indicted federally on wire fraud, money laundering, and extortion charges are Wendell Wilkins, Jimmy Dunbar, Antwine Lamar Matthews, Rakeem Spivey, and David Paul Dempsey. 

This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Services, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Services, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command, United States Marshals Service, South Carolina Department of Corrections, and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Limehouse and Rhett DeHart of the Charleston office are prosecuting the case.

 

For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/5-inmates-among-15-defendants-indicted-wire-fraud-extortion-and-money-laundering-scheme.

 

Former SCDC Employees and Corrections Officers Indicted for Accepting Bribes and Smuggling Contraband

In 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) began a partnership with SCDC and SLED to investigate the smuggling of contraband into prisons by SCDC staff. The investigation uncovered a number of SCDC employees who accepted bribes to smuggle into prison various contraband, such as cellphones, narcotics, and tobacco.

Since April 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has indicted 19 former SCDC employees—including corrections officers, a nurse, and food service employees—on federal charges related to accepting bribes and bringing contraband into South Carolina prisons.  The federal violations alleged include Use of Interstate Facilities to Facilitate Bribery; Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud Depriving South Carolina of the Right to Honest Services; and Possession with Intent to Distribute Narcotics.  To date, Douglas Hawkins, Joshua Cave, Shatara Wilson, and Shakeel Malik Monroe have pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud.

This operation was a combined law enforcement effort by the FBI, SLED, SCDC, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney Will Lewis of the Columbia office is prosecuting the cases.

For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/federal-indictments-unsealed-14-former-scdc-employees-and-correction-officers-arrested.

 

Five Inmates Convicted in Drug Trafficking Ring that Operated from Inside South Carolina Prisons

In September 2016, a federal grand jury charged 15 defendants—5 of whom are current SCDC inmates—with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and related offenses.  The defendants used telephones, primarily contraband cellphones, and the U.S. Mail to facilitate the drug offenses charged, and they conspired to launder drug money by conducting money transfers, cash withdrawals, and purchases of and deposits onto pre-paid cash cards.

The five SCDC inmates—Sok Bun, Paul Ray Davis, Jhon Marlon Acosta, James Robert Peterson, and Samuel Travis Wiggins—capitalized on their nearly unfettered access to contraband cellphones to not only continue their criminal activities, but to direct the criminal activities of nine “facilitators” outside of prison, all of whom were willing to accept drug packages for distribution and collect payment on behalf of the inmates.  The inmates routinely brokered and managed the delivery and distribution of methamphetamine from California to the upstate of South Carolina and elsewhere in the state. The contraband cellphones were often equipped with touch screens and Internet access, which enabled prisoners to coordinate drug transactions, confirm shipment and delivery, and transfer drug trafficking proceeds.

All but two of the inmate defendants pleaded guilty.  In September 2017, after a week-long trial, a federal jury convicted Bun and Peterson on all counts.  During the trial, the jury heard numerous recorded calls made by Bun, Peterson, and other inmates from inside South Carolina prisons.  In nearly all of the recorded phone calls between inmate defendants, at least one inmate was using a contraband cellphone.  The jury also heard directly from inmate witnesses about how accessible cellphones were to inmates and the various means by which phones were smuggled into the facilities.

Bun was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison, which will follow the life sentence he is currently serving in SCDC for a 2006 Spartanburg County murder conviction.  Peterson was sentenced to 330 months in federal prison, which will follow the 35-year sentence he is currently serving for murder and assault and battery with intent to kill, both 2005 Cherokee County convictions.  Jhon Marlon Acosta was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison.  Samuel Travis Wiggins was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison.  Inmate Paul Davis awaits sentencing.

The convictions were the result of a multi-year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.  The OCDETF Program is a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  Its principal mission is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug-trafficking organizations primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.  The investigation was conducted by the FBI with the assistance and cooperation of the United States Postal Service, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, SLED, SCDC, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Spartanburg City Police Department, Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, ICE - Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Marshals Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Leesa Washington and former Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard, both of the Greenville office, prosecuted the case.

 

For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/fifteen-charged-drug-trafficking-ring-operated-inside-south-carolina-prisons; https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/jury-convicts-spartanburg-brothers-federal-court-drug-and-money-laundering-charges.

 

Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that, in its continued efforts to support the commitments in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the U.S. Attorney’s Office participated in Advocacy Day for Access and Independence 2019.

This annual event was led by Able SC, which is a Center for Independent Living organization, whose mission includes empowering people with disabilities to live active and self-determined lives.  There were several speakers on the State House grounds for today’s event including members of the SC General Assembly, various South Carolina departments, disability advocates, non-profit entities, and members of the disability community.  Support groups from around the state participated and hundreds of people attended the event.

First Assistant United States Attorney Lance Crick provided remarks on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  In South Carolina, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice have conducted several reviews of local and state governmental ADA compliance since 1994, resulting in several agreements with all levels of local government.  Crick said that these ADA reviews in South Carolina have generally been positive and most governmental entities have responded cooperatively.  He further noted that the majority of officials are aware of their ADA obligations and have made progress in meeting them. 

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Greenville, South Carolina – United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office; the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services; SC Works; SC Vocational Rehabilitation; SC Department of Employment and Workforce; SC Department of Social Services; and the United States Probation Office are continuing their statewide partnership to help individuals with prior criminal backgrounds secure employment.

The Third Annual Greater Upstate Reentry Job Fair & Expo will be held Wednesday, April 10, 2019, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, at McAlister Square, located at 225 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville, SC.

This job fair, which is intended as a resource for Upstate residents, is part of a series of events held annually in Florence, the Midlands, the Lowcountry, and the Upstate.  The partner organizations have tailored the expo to help people with a criminal record overcome the particular obstacles they face after returning home.

The fair and expo will include area employers friendly to hiring individuals with a criminal background and other organizations who provide resources for returning citizens. 

Professional dress is required.  As always, the event will feature workshops on how to seek expungements and pardons of prior criminal convictions. 

Interested employers or vendors should inquire with Diana Goldwire at (864) 315-9751 or dgoldwire@dew.sc.gov.

 

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Florence, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Derrick Bernard Cunningham, age 48, of Gray Court, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.  Chief United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell of Florence sentenced Cunningham to 27 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented at Cunningham’s guilty plea hearing established that on May 26, 2018, a lieutenant with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) located Cunningham, who was wanted for outstanding warrants, at a hotel in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Cunningham was detained and placed in handcuffs, and the lieutenant noted that Cunningham continually tried to roll onto his left side.  The lieutenant observed a heavy object in a pocket of the vest Cunningham was wearing.  Cunningham claimed he did not know whether the object was a firearm and that he had borrowed the vest from a friend.  A search revealed a Jiminez .380 caliber handgun, loaded with six rounds of ammunition.  Federal law prohibits Cunningham from possessing firearms because he has prior state convictions for grand larceny, burglary, and armed robbery.   

The charges against Cunningham were the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), SLED, and the North Myrtle Beach Police Department.  This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases.  Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001 that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Turning the tide of rising violent crime in America is a top priority for the Department of Justice, which has reinstituted PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy.  Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office prosecuted the case.   

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Charleston, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that John Shannon Simpson, age 43, of Lee County, Florida, has entered a guilty plea in federal court to Wire Fraud.  United States District Judge David C. Norton of Charleston accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after he has received and reviewed a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

Evidence presented to the court established that in May 2014, Simpson founded a charitable organization entitled “Marines and Mickey” and served as the President.  The purpose of the charity was to provide funds to selected United States Marines Corps (USMC) service members and their families to defray their costs of visiting the Walt Disney Resorts. The charity was also supposed to provide funds to the families of newly graduated Marines to defray the families’ costs of attending USMC boot camp graduations, including some held at Parris Island, South Carolina, and San Diego, California.

The charity claimed in its promotions and requests for money that 100% of the donations went directly to Marines and their families through the charity’s programs. The charity actively solicited donations on and near the USMC base in Parris Island, South Carolina, and elsewhere. The remainder of monies raised by the charity were a combination of private and corporate donations to the charity, including by USMC recruits and recent boot camp graduates.

While acting as the charity’s President and in support of fundraising for the charity, Simpson falsely represented himself as a retired career Marine with as much as 20 years of service, a retired Master Sergeant, a former Drill Instructor, and a Recon Marine. 

In fact, Simpson spent less than five years in the Marine Corps. He entered active duty on June 28, 1993. He was absent without leave (AWOL) from June 10, 1996, to June 19, 1997. The highest rank he achieved prior to going AWOL was Lance Corporal/E-3, and his operational specialty was Basic Disbursing Clerk. Simpson was found guilty at a Special Court Martial for violation of Article 86 (Absence without leave) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, was reduced in rank to Private/E-1, and was given a Bad-Conduct Discharge, which was effective on May 5, 1998.

By misleading donors and volunteers about his military background, Simpson was able to add credibility to his solicitations for money.

The charity was in operation from May 2014 through 2016, and it received approximately $481,000 in donations during that time period.  However, despite Simpson’s claims that 100% of the donations would go to Marines and their families through the charity’s programs, only about $90,000—or about 19% of the donations—were used for charitable purposes. Simpson diverted the remainder of the monies in the charitable accounts, approximately $391,000, for his personal use and enrichment.

Additionally, during 2015 and 2016, Simpson made unauthorized withdrawals from the bank accounts of at least seven active-duty Marines who had recently graduated from boot camp.  Simpson convinced them to allow him to make recurring withdrawals from their accounts in nominal amounts to support the charity.  Instead, he used their debit card numbers to make unauthorized withdrawals from their accounts in a combined total amount of more than $5,000.

Simpson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and/or a fine of $250,000.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Dean H. Secor of the Charleston is prosecuting the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that this week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina kicked off its 28th Annual Safe Schools Seminars Series in Greer, West Columbia, and Florence.  The Safe Schools Seminars bring together law enforcement and school personnel charged with protecting children—such as superintendents, administrators, counselors, school resource officers, nurses, and social workers—to discuss some of the safety issues today’s students face. 

Following this week’s seminars, U.S. Attorney Lydon stated, “As we join with Walterboro in mourning the loss of a precious young life this week, we are reminded of the weight of our responsibility to ensure schools are a safe place for students to learn and grow.  Through our Safe Schools partnership, we will continue working toward that goal.  I am grateful to our law enforcement partners and educators across the state who work tirelessly to protect our students.”

Topic sessions during the Safe Schools Seminars include De-Escalation in the Education Environment; Behavior Threat Assessment; Vaping: How It’s Affecting Our Youth; and Don’t Get Sued: Protecting Educators, Administrators, and SROs from Liabilities.

The Safe Schools Seminars are hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association, the South Carolina Department of Education, the Francis Marion University Police Department, the West Columbia Police Department, the Lexington Police Department, the Greer Police Department, and the North Charleston Police Department.

Upcoming Safe Schools Seminars will be in Lexington on April 16, and North Charleston on June 12. 

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that nine individuals, including seven law enforcement officers, have been indicted in federal court in South Carolina on visa fraud and drug charges.

One of the schemes alleged in the Indictment involved fraudulent U Nonimmigrant Visas (“U-Visas”), which are set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse as a result of the crime.  To obtain a U-Visa, a law enforcement official must certify that the alien is assisting that law enforcement agency in the investigation or prosecution of the crime of which the alien was a victim.  According to the Indictment, four officers helped individuals obtain fraudulent U-Visas by taking bribes for fraudulent certifications and creating fraudulent incident reports indicating that aliens were victims of crimes.

The Indictment further alleges that officers took bribes in exchange for protecting methamphetamine and cocaine or the proceeds of drug trafficking.

The charges as to each defendant are:

Springfield Police Department Chief Lacra Sharod Jenkins: Conspiracy, Visa Fraud, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;

Springfield Police Department Officer Allan Hunter, Jr.: Conspiracy, Visa Fraud, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;

Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Carolyn Colter Franklin: Conspiracy, Visa Fraud, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;

Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Nathaniel Miller Shazier, III: Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Stanley Lavalle Timmons: Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;

Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Deputy James Albert Tucker: Conspiracy, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;

Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Willie Paul David Rogers: Conspiracy and Visa Fraud;

Saurabhkumar B.  Patel, of Orangeburg, South Carolina: Conspiracy; and

Tarang Patel, of Newport, Kentucky: Conspiracy and Visa Fraud.

If convicted, Jenkins, Hunter, Franklin, Timmons, Shazier, and Tucker face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.  Rogers, Saurabhkumar Patel, and Tarang Patel face a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.

“With this Indictment, we honor the hard work and dedication of the very fine officers across South Carolina who put on the police uniform every day and risk their lives to protect the rest of us,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “If these allegations are proved, these defendants do not deserve to wear the badge and should not be allowed to bring disrepute on the overwhelming majority of men and women in blue who serve South Carolina with integrity.  We will not tolerate the hypocrisy of those who would pretend to enforce the law, while violating it themselves as they seek to line their own pockets.  We call that public corruption, and we will always call it out.”

The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from ICE - Homeland Security Investigations and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William Camden Lewis and Alyssa Leigh Richardson of the Columbia office.  

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

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20190328-2_-_indictment.pdf

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Deangelo Raheem Roseboro, age 25, of Lancaster, South Carolina, entered a guilty plea in federal court to possession of a firearm by a person who had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a year.  United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after she has received and reviewed a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

Evidence presented to the court established that on December 6, 2017, a Lancaster County deputy made a routine traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Roseboro.   As the deputy approached the vehicle, he saw Roseboro reaching in the floor board of the passenger side of the vehicle.  The deputy asked Roseboro for his driver’s license, insurance, and registration.  Roseboro stated the car belonged to his uncle and that he only had a driver’s permit, which he did not have with him.  The deputy told Roseboro that he smelled marijuana and asked why he was reaching into the floorboard of the vehicle. Roseboro told the deputy that there was no marijuana in the car but that there was a gun in the car that belonged to his uncle.  As the deputy tried to get Roseboro out of the car to detain him, Roseboro ran away.  After a brief search, Roseboro was found hiding in a friend’s apartment.  Deputies searched the vehicle and found a fully loaded SCCY, model CPX-1, 9mm pistol.   Federal law prohibits Roseboro from possessing firearms and ammunition based on a previous conviction for his involvement in the murder of a Chester City councilman.

Roseboro faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and/or a fine of $250,000.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of 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 William K. Witherspoon of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.

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