South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that the State Grand Jury has returned a nine-count indictment concerning allegations of public corruption involving Williamsburg County Sheriff Stephen Renard Gardner and former county supervisor Tiffany Teonta Cooks. Following these developments, Governor McMaster suspended Sheriff Gardner and appointed Clemson Wright, Jr. as his interim replacement.
The indictments against Sheriff Gardner include charges such as criminal conspiracy, misconduct in office, receiving anything of value to influence action of a public official, acceptance of rebates or extra compensation, and money laundering. The specific legal references for these charges are outlined in the indictment.
Tiffany Cooks faces similar charges, including criminal conspiracy, misconduct in office, offering anything of value to influence action of a public official, embezzlement, and money laundering. The details specify that both individuals allegedly conspired to improperly divert government funds to Gardner by disguising payments through third-party checks.
The investigation was conducted by the South Carolina State Grand Jury in collaboration with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Attorney General’s State Grand Jury Section. Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General S. Creighton Waters and Assistant Attorney General Savanna Goude will prosecute the case.
Attorney General Wilson emphasized that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.