Indictment: SC Sheriff Underwood, deputies built ‘party barn ... man cave’ on the clock
Suspended Chester County Sheriff Alex “Big A” Underwood and two of his top deputies used other deputies during their work day to build a lavish “man cave” for Underwood in a renovated barn on Underwood’s property, a senior S.C. attorney general told a state judge on Thursday.
Underwood, 54, and his top staff ordered other deputies to build a “rather opulent party barn for the sheriff, or man cave,” chief attorney for the State Grand Jury Creighton Waters told Judge DeAndrea Benjamin.
“These were extensive improvements,” Waters told the judge.
Waters’ statement was made in court Thursday afternoon at the Richland County courthouse after a long list of various state charges — including forgery, embezzlement and conspiracy, brought by the State Grand Jury — were unveiled against Underwood and his former chief deputy, Robert Sprouse. Another former top deputy, Johnny Ricardo Neal Jr. was charged in the same indictment with misconduct in office, use of official position for financial gain and conspiracy.
Underwood and Sprouse used county money to take their wives to Reno, Nevada, for a trip to a police conference and, on their return, falsified travel vouchers to remove their wives’ names so the county would pay for both couples’ travel, Waters told the judge.
“They knew the county was not paying for the wives to go,” Waters said. When county officials asked questions about the travel, Underwood and Sprouse conspired to cover up their wives’ travel by telling county officials that two deputies went to Reno, Waters said. The wives’ expenses came to $2,600, according to the indictment.
Underwood also received payments from Chester area businesses that had his deputies doing security work — payments that he pocketed instead of the deputies who did the actual work, Waters told the judge.
Underwood and Sprouse already face numerous charges in federal court including illegally using sheriff’s department money to take their wives to Reno, Nevada. The federal charges also allege that Underwood directed his on-duty deputies to do work at his property to renovate a barn and grade land around a pond. Underwood, Neal and Sprouse also face federal civil rights charges in connection with the alleged unlawful arrest and jailing of an unidentified Chester County citizen.
Each of the three men, accompanied by their lawyer, appeared before Judge Benjamin Wednesday for an initial reading of the charges against them. Each was released on an unsecured bond on their promise to show up for future court appearances.
Stanley Myers, Underwood’s lawyer, told Benjamin that some government charges may not hold up and there is more to the story than government accusations.
“The government ... wants everybody to believe that all this is true.”
The case was investigated by agents from the State Law Enforcement Division, which handles cases for the State Grand Jury.
In recent years, S.C. sheriff’s have run afoul of the law. They include:
In 2013, former Abbeville County Sheriff Charles Goodwin stepped down after pleading guilty to misconduct in office for receiving kickbacks. He was put on probation and sentenced to 100 hours of community service.
▪ In 2014, former Chesterfield County Sheriff Sam Parker was convicted by a jury on charges he gave inmates at his jail access to women, weapons, alcohol and the Internet.
▪ In 2015, longtime Lexington County Sheriff Jimmy Metts was sentenced to a year in federal prison for his role in a scheme to help undocumented immigrants get out of his jail.
▪ Last fall, former Greenville County Sheriff Will Lewis was sentenced to a year in prison last fall after a conviction for using the power of his office to coerce a female employee into an extra marital affair.
Earlier this week, former Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone was given a suspended prison sentence for stealing funds from his office to use on thousands of dollars worth of personal expenses.
Neal faces only three charges: one count of criminal conspiracy for the work performed on Underwood’s property, misconduct in office and the use of his official position or office for financial gain for allegedly receiving money for off-duty, yet official, police security work “that he did not in fact do.” The money includes funds intended to pay for work done by other officers, according to the indictment.
Attorney Andy Johnston appeared in court representing Neal, and Michael Laubshire represented Sprouse. Beside Waters, Attorney General prosecutor Brian Petrano is handling the case.
The 16-count indictment accuses Underwood of two counts of criminal conspiracy, three counts of misconduct in office, two counts of using his position or office for financial gain, two counts of embezzlement and one count of forgery.
This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 3:27 PM.