South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that the South Carolina State Grand Jury has issued a 10-count indictment related to public corruption in Williamsburg County. The indictment names Williamsburg County Treasurer Margaret Kimber W. Cooper, along with other former county officials.
Margaret Kimber W. Cooper faces charges including misconduct in office, use of official position or office for financial gain, and criminal conspiracy. The specific counts against her include:
– Misconduct in Office, Common Law (punishable by up to 10 years)
– Use of Official Position or Office for Financial Gain under the Ethics Act (up to 1 year and/or a fine of not more than $5,000)
– Criminal Conspiracy (up to 5 years or a fine of not more than $5,000)
Additional indictments for similar charges were issued for Tiffany Teonta Cooks (former Williamsburg County Supervisor), Stephen Renard Gardner (suspended Williamsburg County Sheriff), Sharon W. Staggers (former Williamsburg County Clerk of Court), and Keonta Dewanda Moore (former Williamsburg County Chief of Administration).
The indictments allege that the named officials accepted payments above their approved salaries between February 2020 and December 2022. These payments totaled about $398,645.11 and were made during a period when other county employees were furloughed.
The investigation was conducted by the South Carolina State Grand Jury in cooperation with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the South Carolina Attorney General’s State Grand Jury Section. Prosecution will be led by Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General S. Creighton Waters, Assistant Attorney General Savanna Goude, and Assistant Attorney General Walt Whitmire.
Attorney General Wilson stated, “All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.”
