Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)
CHARLESTON, S.C. —Following Wednesday’s announcement of eight people charged in a public corruption scheme, four have pleaded guilty. The four men, including two former city council members, were each granted release pending sentencing on unsecured bonds.
These four defendants entered guilty pleas in federal court today:
Jerome Sydney Heyward, 61, Former North Charleston City Councilmember;
Sandino Savalas Moses, 50, Former North Charleston City Councilmember;
Donavan Laval Moten, 46, founder of Core4Success Foundation; and
Aaron Charles-Lee Hicks, 37, resident of North Charleston.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence Heyward, Moses, Moten, and Hicks after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Heyward and Moten each face a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $500,000, and a term of supervised release of three years. Hicks faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of three years. Moses faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three years, a fine of $250,000, and a maximum term of supervised release of one year.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse and Whit Sowards are prosecuting the case.
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