A federal grand jury has indicted Marvin Rashad Pendarvis, a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives and practicing personal injury attorney, on charges including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.
According to the indictment, Pendarvis allegedly filed lawsuits and negotiated settlements for clients but in some cases forged their signatures and withheld settlement funds. The indictment claims that through this scheme, he obtained at least $532,000 without distributing any portion to his clients.
If convicted, Pendarvis could face up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud and money laundering charges. Each count of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year prison sentence.
Pendarvis was arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge Molly Cherry on November 18 and released on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond.
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Bower and Whit Sowards are prosecuting the case.
“All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
