Goose Creek S.C. Police Accused Of Fabricating Allegations, Online Stalking

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A lesbian police chief once stripped of her badge in Georgia is now accused in South Carolina of fabricating allegations and leading a department where officers not only mock but systematically target residents – while also operating under an online alias known as “Jay Smith.”

Goose Creek, a fast-growing suburb about 20 miles north of Charleston, is home to roughly 50,000 residents, a mix of new and upscale housing developments, a commuter route marked by daily “safety checkpoints” — and now, a police department mired in controversy.

For nearly two weeks, The Carolina Courier — a Charleston-based Substack run by former U.S. Army paralegal and openly gay political commentator James Bessinger — has been doggedly reporting on what he portrays as deep dysfunction within the Goose Creek Police Department (GCPD).

In his latest report, Bessinger put the department’s chaplain on blast, describing a woman better known for boudoir photo shoots than for pastoral guidance — and who, according to his sources, has engaged in romantic relationships with some officers while allegedly sexually harassing others.

His reporting further claimed her conduct was widely known inside the department and tolerated by Chief LJ Roscoe — the first openly LGBTQ+ police chief in the tri-county area — with officers warning that anyone who complained risked retaliation from the chief herself.

While the Courier is drawing attention to a host of issues at GCPD, FITSNews had already been investigating the department for months — documenting a pattern of policing driven more by fragile egos than by public safety.

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Readily available news reports show Goose Creek’s brand of so-called “policing” is unfolding under the watchful eye of Roscoe, who was appointed chief in 2019 — despite her Georgia law enforcement certification having been revoked three years earlier amid a criminal investigation.

It all started in 2013, when Roscoe and two others were implicated in the death of a DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office recruit who collapsed during a training exercise. His cause of death was later revised after footage surfaced showing the recruit visibly struggling under extreme conditions.

Roscoe and the others involved later lost their law enforcement certifications and were accused of having “lacked standards of duty” by the council that oversees officer conduct. By 2018, however, investigators quietly cleared them, and prosecutors declined to bring charges.

While still appealing her revoked certification in Georgia, Roscoe was chosen from a pool of 76 applicants and sworn in as Goose Creek’s police chief by Mayor Greg Habib. The appointment was hailed by local media as a “historic” milestone for women and the LGBTQ+ community.

“This is a calling,” Roscoe told reporters — with no mention from the press of her scandal-scarred background. “I pride myself on being a cops’ cop.”

Despite the fanfare, government records provided to FITSNews suggest that beneath the celebratory headlines, Roscoe’s leadership reflects a belief she can act with impunity — shielded by the very identity that talking heads were so eager to celebrate.

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“THE ALLEGATIONS ARE NOT FACTUAL…”

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Internal records obtained by FITSNews show that in July 2023, Roscoe met with several members of the Charleston County Aviation Authority Police Department (CCAAPD) to lodge a formal complaint against one of their detectives… and his wife.

The couple were newly established residents of the Carnes Crossroads community in Goose Creek — an area locals say has become a frequent target for tickets and undue police enforcement.

According to the CCAAPD document, Roscoe accused the detective of providing his wife with “personal information… (that) may have come from some type of law enforcement computer search engine,” and outright suggested he was abusing CCAAPD resources to do so.

As FITSNews has previously reported in cases involving other departments, such an offense constitutes expulsion and carries criminal charges for misconduct in office and the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.

Yet Roscoe’s suspicion was rooted only in an alleged Facebook post in which the detective’s wife criticized GCPD.

In addition to accusing the detective of committing a criminal offense at the behest of his wife, Roscoe further alleged that he had flipped off her officers — specifically a transgender officer named Cole Dreher — and told CCAAPD officials the gesture “could be verified.”

More on Dreher in a moment…

Given the weight of the allegations, CCAAPD opened an internal investigation and first interviewed the detective. He “emphatically” denied Roscoe’s claims, stating the only incident he could recall was once giving a “thumbs-down” gesture while riding as a passenger in his wife’s car.

A subsequent audit of CCAAPD’s search engine determined that the detective had not accessed the search engine during the period Roscoe cited — and that no officer in the agency had searched either the Goose Creek Police Department or Roscoe at all.

The detective further submitted to a polygraph exam administered by the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. The results showed “no deception” in any of his responses.

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RELATED | 111 DAYS LATER: NORTH CHARLESTON POLICE SLOW-WALK PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST

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When Roscoe was ultimately interviewed by the department, she claimed to have screenshots of Facebook posts indicating the detective was providing confidential information to his wife. Yet when she was pressed to produce them, she “could not produce any specific posts.”

She also failed to provide the “verifiable evidence” she had promised regarding the detective flipping off her officers. Instead, she produced a screenshot from her agency’s incident reporting system, which stated that the detective “stuck his tongue out and gave them the thumbs-down sign.”

Roscoe then refused to provide a written statement outlining her initial complaint, told investigators she “really didn’t want” an internal investigation conducted, and “ended by saying” she thought the detective should tell his wife to stop making comments about GCPD.

She furthermore volunteered that she thought every resident of the Carnes Crossroads community “feel that they are entitled.”

“She also stated that the agency was exploring hiring an attorney specifically to address LGBTQ issues,” the investigator noted.

In CCAAPD’s conclusion, none of Roscoe’s complaints against the detective were valid, emphasizing that no evidence was ever presented or uncovered during the inquiry.

“Roscoe’s allegations… are unfounded, meaning that the allegations are not factual,” the internal investigation concluded.

Within the month, however, additional internal records showed Roscoe had lodged yet another complaint against her constituent — this time accusing the detective of making obscene remarks during a Carnes Crossroads community meeting.

This time, Roscoe went so far as to submit a “lengthy audio recording” to support her claim. But the recording did not capture the detective acting inappropriately; instead, investigators noted he was “very complimentary to the mayor and Goose Creek Police Department.”

Following an extensive review that included two additional recordings, a statement from a meeting attendee, and three separate text messages describing the detective as professional, CCAAPD reached the same conclusion: “here—again, this matter is closed.”

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“BECAUSE FUCK ‘EM, THAT’S WHY…”

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Amid the backdrop of Roscoe’s blatantly false allegations against a constituent, information provided to FITSNews indicates her police force was openly targeting both the Carnes Crossroads community — where the detective lives — and another development, the Hamlets in Crowfield Plantation.

Leading this effort was Dreher — who was born female and transitioned around 2019 — and who appears to have participated in multiple incriminating group chats with a handful of like-minded “officers” between at least January 5, 2023 and September 2023.

While engaging with at least six other officers who openly admitted, gloated about, and enabled the unwarranted targeting of numerous constituents, Dreher nonetheless stood out as one of the most brash voices in the group chat.

In one of the first messages provided by a former GCPD officer, Dreher bragged about issuing a ticket to a man in the Hamlets for driving 35 miles per hour in a 30 miles per hour zone, adding: “God, how I have missed this place.”

Like-minded officer Derrick Campbell responded, “Love it,” while officer Mindy Waites replied with five laughing emojis, clarifying that she was laughing at the man Dreher had stopped.

Dreher followed up by saying he hoped the man would show up in court so he could play the incident back on his body camera. Waites responded, “Damn right,” and Campbell added, “That would be great.”

In yet another exchange, Dreher shared a video clip of comedian Dave Chappelle saying: “Why treat the customers this way? Because fuck ’em, that’s why.”

Dreher added that this was the video he had been referring to during earlier “roadchecks.”

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Things didn’t appear to be any better away from those roadchecks, as Dreher later referred to every resident of the Carnes Crossroads community as “cry babies” after like-minded officer John Dodson shared a post from the neighborhood’s private Facebook group.

The post itself came from a resident expressing frustration over receiving a ticket for parking on the wrong side of the road. The larger issue, however, is how Dodson — who was not a Carnes resident — obtained content from a private page.

More on the department’s online stalking in a moment…

“It’s not like we haven’t been doing it to the Hamlets for a long time,” Dreher said in response to the private Facebook post, making clear the department’s practice of targeting specific communities. “You know what they say about feelings… you can get in your feelings and you can get the fuck out of them.”

He later doubled down, proclaiming Carnes Crossroads the “new Hamlets” and adding: “I feel like the Hamlets fucked around and found out they aren’t exempt, so now they about to learn they aren’t either.”

Dreher eventually went further, putting like-minded officers on notice that anyone who merely wrote warnings in the neighborhood was “BANNED from this group.”

In one final exchange — at least among the messages provided to FITSNews — Dreher asked Dodson if he “wants” the address of a “BMW kid” who lives in the Hamlets.

And while Dreher was consistently the more brash voice in the group, it would be remiss not to note that Dodson bragged about pulling over the wife of a S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) agent in March 2023. 

Dreher responded: “Haha did you?? That’s great.”

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WHO IS “JAY SMITH”?

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As Roscoe pressed blatantly false, criminal-level allegations against a constituent and fellow law enforcement officer — and as Dreher not only led but encouraged the targeting of two neighborhoods — an online alias was quietly taking shape in the background.

Dozens of screenshots compiled by a resident document the four-year evolution of a now-deleted online alias called “Jay Smith.” Nearly every Facebook post was steeped in GCPD lore, and almost every account it followed belonged to nearby law enforcement agencies.

According to Facebook data pulled from multiple private neighborhood groups, the “Jay Smith” account had been listed as a member of nearly every residential community in Goose Creek — including the Goose Creek Residents Group, The Triad (Ryan’s Creek, Pineview, and Camelot), Mackey Farms–Summerville Residents and the Carnes Crossroads Residents group.

Bearing the profile picture of five gooses on a body of water, “Jay Smith” was active in every one of these groups, with some activity traced as far back as April 2019.

In the Goose Creek Residents Group…

On April 17, 2021, the “Jay Smith” account referred to itself as “we” while discussing a GCPD effort to relocate a cat — noting that a department-issued animal trap had been stolen. “As it stands now, we intend to prosecute whomever stole the equipment. My suggestion is that you either return the equipment to the area or bring it to the police department,” the account wrote.

One month later, the account shared a link promoting GCPD’s 5K race, writing: “All money goes to helping less fortunate kids and families… register now.”

In The Triad (Ryan’s Creek, Pineview, and Camelot)…

Around August 2020, when a resident posted: “How/who could I contact for information about donating to a Cop-Stop?” “Jay Smith” replied “Melissa Crawford Enos” — a city council member first elected in 2020.

Later, the account posted a link to a GCPD-partnered event in the group, promoting a community training titled “Narcan & Overdose Prevention Event.” The post read: “This is a great event that can save lives.”

In the Carnes Crossroads Residents Group…

In one of the account’s more incriminating moments, “Jay Smith” confronted a resident in the comments of a private group post criticizing GCPD. “I wish we could see the body camera video to see if your accusations against these officers is [sic] correct,” the alias wrote.

The account continued: “I feel certain you know that the Chief has people who tell her about the posts maligning the officers or the department, and she watches all of the videos.”

Then came what appeared to be a veiled threat: “So I hope that you are accurate and not just upset that you were stopped.”

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In another exchange, when a resident posted concerns about a large police presence in the area, the “Jay Smith” account responded snarkily — not only disclosing specifics (“They had a meeting with the principal at the new school”) but also scolding the commenter: “Just because you see the police doesn’t mean something nefarious is taking place.”

The alias also engaged directly with the wife of the detective Roscoe had previously and falsely accused. In that exchange, “Jay Smith” appeared to display inside knowledge of the chief’s schedule, writing that Roscoe was “just at an event” at the local community center with “a bunch” of her officers.

The account went on to praise GCPD, insisting that the “truth” for an indeterminate matter would eventually be “seen.” It then disclosed when Roscoe would next be in the area — even suggesting to the detective’s wife that she “make an appointment with the chief if you want to see her.”

When asked directly by the detective’s wife in the comments of another post whether “Jay Smith” was an employee of the department, the account responded 14 hours later with a single word: “No.”

On Instagram, however, a profile that once used the exact same profile photo as the “Jay Smith” Facebook account also appeared under the alias, with the username @goosecreekpolicesc.

The profile picture was later updated to a GCPD badge, and the account later shared two TikToks from the department’s official page. Yet, for reasons unclear, the display name remained “Jay Smith” until the summer of 2025 — when the account was deleted.

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It’s worth noting one of the accounts followers was Enos — the council member previously used by name by “Jay Smith” on Facebook.

Adding to its official appearance, the page was tagged in posts by both the City of Goose Creek’s official Instagram account and the Berkeley County Coroner’s Office.

It’s worth noting that Roscoe’s spouse, Misty Roscoe, is reported to have previously served as a deputy coroner and now works as a sergeant with the MUSC Department of Public Safety.

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OUR TAKE…

From Roscoe’s baseless complaints, to Dreher’s role in cultivating a culture of targeting, to the emergence of a shadowy online alias that infiltrated neighborhood forums, GCPD certainly appears less committed to public safety than it does to wielding power.

Internal records, group chat logs, and social media screenshots point to a department that not only tolerates retaliation but enables it — extending even into digital spaces where residents once believed they were safe to speak freely.

For the 50,000 people who call Goose Creek home, life unfolds under a police chief who fabricates criminal allegations, officers who gloat about targeting entire neighborhoods, and a now-untraceable alias account that monitored and intimidated citizens online.

In short: Goose Creek is a community under siege by its own police force.

This story may be updated.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Cut from a bloodline of outlaws and lawmen alike, he was the first of his family to graduate college which was accomplished with honors. Got a story idea or news tip for Andy? Email him directly and connect with him socially across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.