Attorney General Alan Wilson
Recent News About Attorney General Alan Wilson
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Court rejects Avid Telecom's bid to dismiss illegal robocalls case
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that the United States District Court in Arizona has denied Avid Telecom's multiple attempts to dismiss and delay a bipartisan, 49-state lawsuit. The company is accused of billions of illegal robocalls. The attorneys general are suing Michael D. Lansky, L.L.C., doing business as Avid Telecom, its owner Michael D. Lansky, and its vice president Stacey S. Reeves.
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South Carolina's Attorney General advocates for judicial reform
Judicial reform, S.1046, is currently on its way to the conference committee, according to Attorney General Alan Wilson. He expressed his views on the matter in a recent statement: "Judicial reform is headed to conference committee. Our judicial selection process desperately needs reform, and we’re almost there. This bill is not perfect, but it is progress. I hope the conference committee members agree and get it to the Governor’s desk soon."
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Attorney General Wilson Leads Coalition Urging Permanent Defunding of UNRWA
Attorney General Alan Wilson led a 24-state coalition in a letter to Congressional leadership, urging Congress to permanently cut all funding to the terrorist-embedded United Nations Relief and Works Agency (“UNRWA”).On October 7, 2023, dozens of UNRWA staff participated in the largest attack on the Jewish community since the Holocaust. UNRWA’s ties to terrorism are not just the work of a few bad apples; as much as 10% of its staff is tied to Hamas. UNRWA even concealed a Hamas command center beneath its headquarters and stored hidden weapons in UNRWA schools.Not only has...
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Columbia man arrested for distributing child sexual abuse material
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Sean Patrick Dodd, 46, of Columbia, S.C., on two charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Richland County Sheriff's Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Owatonna, MN Police Department assisted with this investigation. Investigators state Dodd distributed files of child sexual abuse material. Dodd was arrested on May 5, 2024. He is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree...
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Greenville County Man Arrested for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Paul David Gedosch, 20, of Pelzer, S.C., on three charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. The arrest was made by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Greenville County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Attorney General's Office.According to investigators, Gedosch produced child sexual abuse material. Gedosch, who was out on bond from a prior arrest on related charges in 2023, now faces three counts of sexual exploitation...
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Attorney General Alan Wilson fights to protect Title IX
"(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – Attorney General Alan Wilson is continuing his fight against the Biden Administration’s attack on Title IX by filing suit over the unlawful rule change that threatens protections for girls in schools. The new rule, which is slated to take effect August 1, 2024, requires any school receiving federal funding to accommodate students’ and teachers’ “gender identity.” This means biological boys and men that identify as female will be allowed to use girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms. Students and teachers will also be required to use others’ “preferred...
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Attorney General Alan Wilson Announces Arrest of Three People for Stealing from Sumter Assisted Living Resident
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that his office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (SCMFCU) has arrested Sonya D. Bradley (58 years old), Ronnie M. June (33 years old), and Antonio K. Shad (37 years old), all from Sumter, SC on charges related to financial exploitation.According to Attorney General Wilson, the individuals were charged with Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult, Criminal Conspiracy, and various counts of Financial Transaction Card Fraud. The arrests stem from a joint investigation by the SCMFCU and the Sumter Police...
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Attorney General Alan Wilson Announces Arrest in Fraud Case Against Vulnerable Adult
COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson made a significant announcement regarding the arrest of Ronnelle Nance, a 54-year-old man from Washington, DC, in connection with a case of fraud against a vulnerable adult in Upstate SC.Nance was arrested by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (SCMFCU) for charges including Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult and Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent. These charges stem from allegations that Nance unlawfully used the funds, assets, and power-of-attorney of a vulnerable adult between May 6, 2021, and July 31, 2023,...
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Greenville Man Arrested on charges of distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Donald Ray Locke, 59, of Greenville, S.C., on three charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Locke was arrested on April 24, 2024, for distributing files of child sexual abuse material, as stated by investigators involved in the case.Locke is facing three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, which is a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count. The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office, as confirmed by...
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Camden Man Arrested on 15 Child Sexual Abuse Material* Charges
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Derek James Pettus, 22, of Camden, S.C., on 15 charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Camden Police Department made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General's Office, Kershaw County Sheriff's Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Secret Service, all also members of the state's ICAC Task Force, assisted with this investigation.Investigators received a CyberTipline report...
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Upstate Men Arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Jerome Shahid Brown, 26, of Moore, S.C., and Christopher Morris Shepard, 49, of Pelzer, S.C., on 11 total charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the South Carolina Attorney General's Office and the South Carolina Department of Corrections made the arrests in these unrelated cases.Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which led...
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North Myrtle Beach Man Arrested on Five Child Sexual Abuse Material* Charges
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Michael Lee Prince, 57, of North Myrtle Beach, S.C., on five charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General's Office, also a member of the state's ICAC Task Force, assisted with the investigation.According to Wilson, "Pornography can imply the child was a consenting participant." He also highlighted...
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Spartanburg County Man Arrested on Six Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Daniel J. Branum, 60, of Chesnee, S.C., on six charges connected to the sexual exploitation of a minor. The arrest was made by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the South Carolina Attorney General's Office, with assistance from investigators with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office and Homeland Security Investigations.Branum, who was arrested on April 17, 2024, is facing one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, and five counts of sexual...
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Rock Hill Man Arrested on Five Child Sexual Abuse Material* Charges
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Lawrence Tafoya, 67, of Rock Hill, S.C., on five charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. Tafoya was arrested on April 11, 2024, by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the York County Sheriff's Office. The investigators stated that Tafoya possessed files of child sexual abuse material.Tafoya is charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree (§16-15-410), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count....
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Attorney General Alan Wilson announces previous sex offender sentenced to 6 years for soliciting minor
Attorney General Alan Wilson has revealed that a Lexington County man, who was already a registered sex offender, has been sentenced to six years in prison for soliciting someone he believed to be a minor. The individual, Steven Leslie Wright, pleaded guilty to Criminal Solicitation of a Minor and Attempted Dissemination of Obscene Material to a Person Under 18. This sentencing comes after an investigator from the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office engaged in an undercover chat operation in August 2021, where Wright, unaware, communicated with the investigator posing as a...
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Attorney General Alan Wilson Announces West Columbia Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Child Sexual Abuse Material, Drugs, and Resisting Arrest
Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced that a Lexington County man, Jordan Keith Agee, has been sentenced to five years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material, drugs, and resisting arrest. Agee pleaded guilty to the charges, including Resisting Arrest, Possession of Less Than 1 Gram of Methamphetamine/Cocaine Base, and four counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – 3rd Degree.According to Attorney General Alan Wilson, Agee was the subject of multiple investigations by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, with incidents dating back to early 2022....
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Cherokee County Man Arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material* and Related Charges
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of James Mitchell Wayne McAbee, 20, on 11 charges connected to the attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. McAbee was arrested on April 8, 2024, by Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Charleston Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.According to investigators, McAbee solicited a person he believed to be a minor for sex, encouraged them to produce child sexual abuse material, sent sexually explicit images...
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Attorney General Alan Wilson announces 16-year sentence for Lancaster Co. man who hid camera in bathroom
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that a Lancaster County man has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for hiding a camera in a bathroom and recording young girls showering. William Brandon Lee Campbell pleaded guilty to two counts of Voyeurism and one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, 2nd degree. This announcement came after Campbell admitted to placing a camera in a home in Indian Land in Lancaster County and recording videos of young girls showering.Judge Brian Gibbons presided over the case and sentenced Campbell to 16...
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Attorney General Alan Wilson Announces Charges Against Sumter Woman for Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced that Annette Bolden Coard, a 54-year-old resident of Sumter, S.C., has been arrested for Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult and Financial Identity Fraud. Coard was booked into the Sumter County Detention Center on April 5, 2024.According to the joint investigation by the SCMFCU and the Sumter Police Department, Coard allegedly misused the funds and assets of a vulnerable adult by using the victim's personal identifying information. It is alleged that Coard, while employed at Carriage House/Patriot Living in Sumter,...
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South Carolina Adopts Exam Validity Extension Programs for Broker-Dealer Agents and Investment Adviser Representatives
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the adoption of the Broker-Dealer Agent Exam Validity Extension Program (AG EVEP) and the Investment Adviser Representative Exam Validity Extension Program (IAR EVEP), coordinated by the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA). Wilson stated, "With these adoptions, individuals can now enroll all of their eligible NASAA exams into the applicable exam validity extension programs. The program is designed to provide flexibility for currently registered persons who, for various reasons, may need to...