SC governor suspends sheriff for scheme to steal government money, officials say
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster suspended a sheriff Wednesday after the law enforcement officer and another previously-elected official were charged with multiple financial crimes, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.
Both Williamsburg County Sheriff Stephen Renard Gardner and former Williamsburg County Supervisor Tiffany Teonta Cooks were involved in a scheme to illegally funnel thousands in government money to Gardner, S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a news release.
Both Gardner and Cooks were charged with criminal conspiracy, misconduct in office and money laundering (value $20,000 or greater but less than $100,000), according to the release.
Gardner also was charged with receiving anything of value to influence action of public official ethics act violation and acceptance of rebates or extra compensation, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office said.
Cooks faces more charges, including offering anything of value to influence action of public official ethics act violation as well as embezzlement, according to the release.
Gardner and Cooks conspired a “scheme to improperly pay thousands of dollars of government funds to Gardner, and avoid taxes or withholdings on the amounts paid, by routing the government money to Gardner under the guise of checks written to a third party,” the S.C. Attorney General’s Office said.
Gardner also “secretly obtain(ed),” and Cooks “secretly provide(d) personal profit and benefit to (the sheriff) by having government funds, above and beyond (his) legitimate salary, improperly paid to him,” the release said.
The cases against Gardner and Cooks will be prosecuted by Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Creighton Waters and Assistant Attorney General Savanna Goude. Information about attorney’s representing Gardner and Cooks was not available.
If convicted on all of the counts, Gardner faces a maximum punishment of a combined 40 years in prison and $15,500 in fines, while Cooks could face a combined 45 years in prison and $15,000 in fines, according to South Carolina law.
Gardner and Cooks will be in Richland County Court on Friday, the S.C. Attorney General’s Office said.
In November 2024, Cooks was hired as the Town of Blythewood’s deputy administrator, The State previously reported. In December 2024, it was reported that Cooks was being investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division connected to her previous position as Williamsburg County supervisor.
Cooks ultimately did not to take the Blythewood position, according to a statement sent to media by Blythewood Mayor Sloan Griffin, who did not respond to a direct request from The State for an interview.
Cooks took office as Williamsburg County supervisor at the start of 2019, and lost a re-election bid in 2022 Democratic party primary to Kelvin Washington, according to the South Carolina Election Commission. It was Washington who initially asked SLED to investigate Cooks, which was first reported by postandcourier.com.
The Governor’s Office said that immediately after seeing the indictment against Gardner, McMaster issued Executive Order 2025-13, suspending Gardner from office and appointing Clemson Wright Jr. to serve as Williamsburg County sheriff.
Wright will serve as sheriff until Gardner is acquitted, the indictment is otherwise disposed of, or until a new sheriff is elected and qualifies in the next general election for county sheriff, according to the Governor’s Office.
A lifelong resident of Williamsburg County, Wright has served as a special agent with SLED since 2018, the Governor’s Office said. Wright began his law enforcement career in 2009 with the Williamsburg County Sheriff’s Office as a correctional officer and was later promoted to deputy. He has also served as a patrol officer with the Kingstree Police Department and as a trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, according to the Governor’s Office.
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This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 10:50 AM.
