We just received the following “notification of court proceedings” from the U.S. Department of Justice …
“Hearings have been scheduled in connection with an ongoing investigation involving allegations of bank fraud, public corruption and the criminal misuse and conversion of public funds. United States District Court Judge David C. Norton will preside over all proceedings.”
Awwwww YEAH! It’s gonna be a good day …
The public hearing will be held at the Hollings Judicial Center in downtown Charleston, S.C. at 1:00 p.m.
So who’s getting pinched?
Good question …
Sources tell FITS this is the case involving a pair of former S.C. State University trustees, Jonathan Pinson and Lance Wright – who resigned their seats on the board in the wake of an internal investigation conducted by former S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) chief Reggie Lloyd.
Pinson – who was S.C. State’s board chairman at the time – has been accused of corruption in the attempted taxpayer purchase of an 80-acre, $3 million “Sportsman’s Retreat” in Orangeburg County, S.C.
According to federal investigators, Pinson agreed to accept a $110,000 Porsche Cayenne in exchange for his support of the deal – a kickback offered to him by Florida developer Richard Zahn, the owner of the property.
Other kickbacks were offered to other S.C. State officials.
Zahn pleaded guilty in February to charges of wire fraud and extortion and has been cooperating with investigators in an effort to avoid jail time.
The “Sportsman’s Retreat” deal was blocked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) less than a month before taxpayers were scheduled to shell out the $3 million for the property.
In addition to Wright and Pinson, former S.C. State police chief Michael Bartley – a friend of Zahn’s – was also allegedly in on the scandal.
UPDATE: Well, Pinson didn’t get pinched … but Lance Wright did. He and two of his business partners – Phillip Mims and Robert A. Williams – pleaded guilty to bank fraud and conspiracy. They are facing up to 35 years in prison for their crimes.
6 comments
Just another day in SC.
Oh, When I read the headline after having read Adam Beam’s article in The State today on the farce yesterday of the Judicial Qualifications Committee, I thought the court reporters had come forward and called Jean Toal the liar she is. Jean said that the reason her decisions are late are because the court reporters don’t get the transcripts in on time. I’ve heard that excuse for years. I started calling the court reporters and found out that the transcripts were prepared and were sitting in stacks “somewhere.” I called a Judicial law clerk on an important – and was told they “didn’t realize the transcript had been delivered.” The Court had had it for 4 months. Toal’s game of smoke and mirrors needs to come to an end.
Vinny – who are you going to vote for?
I laughed when I read that part in the Pleicones vs. Toal article this morning also. I called one of my old court reporter buds who had already talked with other court reporters this morning. All are paralyzed with fear of Toal’s retaliation if they say anything. They all know the story of the court reporter in the Wade Hampton building working for the SC Judiciary inside who was fired for not changing a transcript and refusing to take the blame for judges and lawyers missing deadlines because SHE was not transcribing fast enough. That was a “crock” was her response. Sic, we shouldn’t have hijacked this story, but this is the hot story with court reporters around the state this morning.
Toal just lied again. Nothing new.
If the Court were only as stern with itself as it is with lawyers who come before it.
Corruption in the administration at SC State?
Aunt Pitty Pat….run get TBG his smellin’ salts!!
Shock news, Queen one glass of vino Toal would fabricate or misspeak about the court reporters. It is always the same, the ruling class blame all of there problems on the help.