Feds, SLED round up alleged SC crooked cops in visa-selling, drug schemes
For two years, the FBI, SLED and Homeland Security agents have worked on what they dubbed “Operation Iceberg” — an investigation into alleged drug trafficking, bribery and visa selling by law officers in Orangeburg County.
And Friday, before dawn, more than 50 federal and SLED agents in SWAT gear descended into Orangeburg County, rounding up officers and other defendants who had been quietly indicted earlier this week by a federal grand jury in Columbia. Seven defendants are Orangeburg County law enforcement officers, and two are civilians.
Among the nine was Lacra Jenkins, the chief of police in Springfield, a small town about 15 miles west of Orangeburg and 35 miles southwest of Columbia.
A 13-count indictment in the public corruption case charges the law officers with taking bribes, both to create “fraudulent paperwork” in a visa scheme” and “in exchange for protecting methamphetamine and cocaine or the proceeds of drug trafficking,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Officers accepted laptop computers, Xbox gaming systems, Google and Amazon speakers and a television as bribes, according to the indictment.
Charges against the nine include conspiracy, visa fraud, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictments were kept sealed until Friday morning “due to security concerns,” according to a government document also unsealed Friday.
The arrests were announced Friday morning at a press conference in front of the Matthew Perry federal courthouse in Columbia by U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon, FBI special agent in charge of S.C. Jody Norris, Homeland Security Investigations chief John Eisert and State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel.
“Today, we unseal a 13-count indictment charging certain law enforcement officers with taking bribes in exchange for using their official positions to obtain visas to either enter the United States or to remain in the United States,” Lydon said.
“We will not tolerate the hypocrisy of those who pretend to enforce the law, while violating it themselves — all to line their pockets. We call that public corruption, and we will always call that out,” she said.
Jody Norris, who leads the FBI’s operations in South Carolina, told reporters the allegations “represent a clear betrayal of the people of Orangeburg County, this state and legitimate officers who risk their lives every day.”
Lydon said the case began when two SLED agents became suspicious of certain activity in Orangeburg County. SLED then brought the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations into the case.
The case led to the arrests of four Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Department officers, an OCSD reserve deputy and a former OCSD sheriff’s deputy who now is a Springfield police officer.
Those indicted are:
▪ Lacra Jenkins, Springfield police chief, on charges including conspiracy, visa fraud, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking scheme.
▪ Springfield police officer Allan Hunter Jr., on charges of conspiracy, visa fraud, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
▪ Orangeburg County sheriff’s deputy Carolyn Franklin, on charges of conspiracy, visa fraud, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
▪ Orangeburg County sheriff’s deputy Nathaniel Shazier, on charges of conspiracy, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking scheme.
▪ Orangeburg County sheriff’s reserve deputy James Tucker, on charges of conspiracy, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking scheme.
▪ Orangeburg County Sheriff’s deputy Stanley Timmons, on charges of conspiracy, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking scheme.
▪ Orangeburg County sheriff’s deputy Willie Paul David Rogers, on charges of conspiracy and visa fraud.
▪ Saurabhkumar B. Patel, of Orangeburg, on charges of conspiracy. He was arrested in Orangeburg Friday.
▪ Tarang Patel, of Newport, Ky., on charges of conspiracy and visa fraud. He was arrested in Kentucky Friday.
Some of the defendants are accused of creating fraudulent paperwork claiming that certain undocumented immigrants were eligible for U visas. Those U visas are set aside for victims of certain crimes who have suffered abuse while in the United States and are willing to help law enforcement investigate and prosecute crimes.
If convicted, Jenkins, Hunter, Franklin, Timmons, Shazier and Tucker face a maximum of life in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Rogers and the two Patels face a maximum of 10 years.
Handling the case for the U.S. Attorney’s office are prosecutors Will Lewis and Alyssa Richardson.
The case was mostly investigated by a joint public corruption task force operated by SLED and FBI agents.
The FBI’s Norris told reporters that the task force continues to investigate public corruption in South Carolina. “To those who are violating the public’s trust, or who may contemplate such, know this: We will find you, we will arrest you and you will go to prison. It’s just not worth it.”
First Circuit Solicitor David Pascoe said later Friday that the arrests of the officers may compromise cases they are or have been involved in.
“My office is currently going through all these files to see what cases these officers are involved in,” said Pascoe, whose office prosecutes state crimes in Orangeburg County.
This story was originally published March 29, 2019 at 11:45 AM.