Columbia Mayor Benjamin supports friend and convicted felon Pinson

A 24-page federal court filing requesting leniency for convicted felon Jonathan Pinson refers to letters of support for Pinson written by prominent Columbia residents Mayor Steve Benjamin, council member Tameika Isaac-Devine, Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland, and others.

“Jonathan has played an integral role in keeping his children actively involved in church, sports and extracurricular activities,” wrote Benjamin, a longtime Pinson friend and political associate.

“Jonathan’s undying commitment to change lives through mentoring youth and young adults, while making efforts to improve everyone’s overall quality of life through service on boards and commissions,” Benjamin continued.

Greg Harris, Benjamin’s lawyer, said Benjamin wasn’t available Wednesday afternoon. Harris told The State that Benjamin “could have taken the easy way out” and not spoken up on behalf of Pinson, a longtime friend.

Harris quoted Benjamin as saying, “Jonathan has been a friend, despite his current situation. I have witnessed his community service and charity towards others. I felt it was important that my observations be shared with the court in this process.”

Besides being friends and political allies, Pinson and Benjamin were the major partners in the Village at River’s Edge, a public-private housing development, until Benjamin withdrew to run for Columbia mayor in 2010.

Jim Griffin, Pinson’s attorney who filed the request for leniency, cited Benajmin and others’ statements about Pinson’s good character to support his argument that his client deserves a break on a possible sentence. Pinson faces a maximum of about 15 years in prison.

A federal jury last July convicted Pinson – a former board chair of S.C. State University – of 29 crimes, including racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering in various schemes, some of which was skimmed government money from grants and programs.

Pinson was the ringleader among a half-dozen lawbreakers who sometimes used his position with the school to make money illegally, the jury found. All others charged have pleaded guilty.

Federal Judge David Norton will sentence Pinson on May 20.

Griffin’s filing also said of the Village at River’s Edge, that “Pinson simply lacked the experience and skills to take over this project after Mayor Benjamin withdrew.”

When Benjamin got out of the project, it was still in its beginning stages. Pinson diverted federal funds for the project to his own use, the jury ruled.

This story was originally published April 29, 2015 at 3:20 PM with the headline "Columbia Mayor Benjamin supports friend and convicted felon Pinson."