Former Spartanburg Sheriff Chuck Wright to plead guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy

Former Spartanburg County Sheriff Charles Chuck Wright has agreed to plead guilty in federal court to engaging in a conspiracy to steal federal funds, according to a plea agreement made public Thursday.

Wright, who was sheriff of Spartanburg County from 2004 to 2025, also agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and obtaining controlled substances by misrepresentation, according to the plea agreement.

“Using public funds to finance his private lifestyle, Wright abused his position as elected Sheriff of Spartanburg County to siphon money from Spartanburg County,” an information in his case said.

Wright used the sheriff’s office Benevolence Fund to steal money, the information said. The non-profit fund was set up to “provide financial and emotional assistance to officers of the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office during times of need, such as bereavement, financial difficulties, and traumatic line-of-duty events,” the information said.

With money from the fund, Wright enriched himself and bought “personal items such as travel, food, clothing, controlled substances, and other items,” the information said.

Also, the information said, for four years, from 2021 through February 2025, Wright allowed an employee to “fraudulently receive a paycheck and benefits of approximately $200,000 for work that he did not perform.”

In 2023, Wright also obtained 147 pain pills of oxycodone and hydrocodone by misrepresenting that he was collecting the pills for a ‘’take back” narcotics disposal program, when he “was obtaining the controlled substance for his own personal use,” the information said.

Two other men, Amos Durham and Lawson Watson, have agred to plead guilty on various charges with Wright and were named in the information with him.

As sheriff, Wright was responsible for the operation and management of the 370-employee sheriff’s office.

“The law enforcement officers were at-will employees, and the non-sworn employees were not at-will employees,” according to an information in the case. His office received federal funds of at least $10,000 each year, a fact that gave federal authorities jurisdiction in his case.

Federal prosecutors in the case are Justin Holloway and Lothrop Morris. Attorney Greg Harris of Columbia represents Wright.

Wright, once he formally pleads guilty, will be the latest of more than a dozen sheriffs to be convicted of criminal charges since 2010.

Sheriffs are popularly elected officials. Each S.C. county has a sheriff.

The FBI and the State Law Enforcement Division investigated.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

This story was originally published September 25, 2025 at 4:37 PM.