Lexington County investigators arrest man wanted for 18 months, scammed churches

A man who was wanted for 18 months for failure to pay child support payments is also believed to have scammed several churches throughout the Midlands, according to Lexington County Sheriff’s Department officials.

Sheriff Jay Koon said James Fletcher “Les” Spires, 42, was taken into custody in Camden with the assistance of the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department and Camden police. Investigators say Spires used a network of people to help him evade law enforcement.

Koon said Spires was living in an office building in Camden and was using only cash to “stay off the grid.” Spires would call associates and family members using techniques to conceal his telephone number and location so that he would not be tracked.

Although he is wanted for unpaid child support payments, Spires allegedly has also been involved in numerous church-related scams. Investigators believe Spires would raise funds for supposed ministry and missions activities, Koon said. Spires was actively involved in several churches throughout Lexington, Richland and Kershaw counties as well as churches in the greater-Atlanta area.

It is unclear how Spires used the money he allegedly collected from the scams.

Spires has been sentenced to one year in jail and fined more than $27,000 in connection to unpaid child support payments.

Anyone with information regarding Spires’ efforts to scam churches on bogus ministry and missions project should contact the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department at (803) 785-8230.