South Carolina Statewide Grand Jury Indicts Ex-Williamsburg County Official

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by JENN WOOD

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A public corruption dragnet in Williamsburg County, South Carolina widened this week as the statewide grand jury handed down a ten-count indictment against former county clerk of court Sharon Staggers — accusing her of embezzling more than $119,000 in public funds, much of it money meant to improve child support enforcement services.

S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson announced the charges Wednesday (August 13, 2025), detailing allegations that Staggers caused payments to be made to herself in excess of her salary as an elected official — a salary set by Williamsburg County Council. Prosecutors say the bulk of the misappropriated funds came from Title IV-D child support enforcement funds, which are federally funded and intended to bolster services for children and families.

First elected in 2012, Staggers ran unopposed in both the Democrat primary and general election for a third four-year term in 2020. She ran again for the office in 2024 – but was defeated in the June Democratic primary.

The indictment (.pdf) accused Staggers of:

• Misconduct in office (1 count – up to 10 years)
• Embezzlement of public funds under $10,000 (2 counts – up to 5 years each)
• Embezzlement of public funds $10,000 or more (5 counts – up to 10 years each)
• Ethics Act violations — using her official position for financial gain (1 count – up to 1 year and/or $5,000 fine) and receiving something of value to influence her actions as a public official (1 count – up to 10 years and/or $10,000 fine)

If convicted on all counts, she faces decades behind bars.

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RELATED | WILLIAMSBURG SHERIFF, FORMER ADMINISTRATOR INDICTED

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A LEGAL WARNING IGNORED?

The indictment followed a December 5, 2023 opinion (.pdf) from the Attorney General’s Office — issued directly to Staggers — questioning whether a clerk of court could lawfully supplement their own salary with Title IV-D funds.

While the opinion allowed for Title IV-D funds to be used to supplement employees’ salaries when tied to child support enforcement work, it expressed skepticism that a court would permit a clerk of court to designate such a supplement for themselves.

The opinion also reiterated a state prohibition on reducing an elected official’s salary during their term — but stressed that only the county’s governing body, not the county supervisor, has the authority to set that salary in the first place.

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PART OF A LARGER CORRUPTION PATTERN

This is the third major public corruption case in Williamsburg County in less than a year.

In March, Williamsburg County sheriff Stephen Renard Gardner and former county supervisor Tiffany Teonta Cooks were indicted on nine counts each, accused of conspiring to misappropriate thousands of dollars in government funds for personal gain — allegedly routing the money through a third party to evade taxes and withholdings.

Gardner was suspended from office by governor Henry McMaster following the indictment.

Two months later, Cooks was hit with 16 additional charges, bringing her total to 21 criminal counts. Prosecutors claim she enriched herself and others through unauthorized “community project” payments, using public funds to reward political allies and secure cooperation from county employees.

The Staggers investigation was conducted by the statewide grand jury in collaboration with the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Department of Social Services (DSS). The case will be prosecuted by senior assistant deputy attorney general Creighton Waters and assistant attorneys general Savanna Goude and Walt Whitmire.

No trial date has been set. Staggers, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. But with three separate public corruption prosecutions now pending against former top officials in Williamsburg County, the legal fallout from this small community’s governance crisis is far from over.

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THE INDICTMENT…

(S.C. State Grand Jury)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.

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