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BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood’s traffic was unexpectedly brought to its knees Thursday, Oct, 31 as the county began construction on Blythewood Road, closing one lane in preparation to work on the proposed traffic circle in front of Cobblestone Park, Blythewood’s representative to Richland County Council Derek Pugh said he received a number of complaints from the community and even got stuck in the traffic himself.

While the County agreed to move the construction to nighttime hours the following week, Pugh said he was again deluged with complaints as the work continued on Friday morning.

“A school administrator said students could not be picked up on time the day before. Companies were complaining that the traffic standstill was unreasonable, and residents said they were missing dental appointments, nail appointments, etc.” Pugh said.

“That was unacceptable,” he told The Voice. “I got with county officials who arranged for the construction to be shut down by 1 p.m., Friday. It was to continue at night hours only, starting the next week, Monday, Nov. 4.”

WLTX-TV reported that, “While the change will make things easier for drivers, Richland County Public Works Director Mike Maloney said it will increase the project’s cost.”

Maloney was also quoted on the program as saying that “residents can always call the Ombudsman’s Office at 929-6000 if they have issues with the county.”

However, Nicole Latham posted on Facebook that she had called the ombudsman’s office and that the office had not been able to confirm the construction plans. Notices had not been issued to town hall or the media that construction was beginning Oct. 31. Pugh said that he, too, was unaware that the lane was going to be closed.

The county has since issued a notice (on Wednesday) that night work on Blythewood Road will begin on Sunday, Nov. 17, between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Pugh said he understands that it should continue for about four days.

COLUMBIA – Kasaun Dante Simmons, 27, of Blythewood, is one of ten defendants convicted in federal court for their participation in an identity theft and fraud ring based in Columbia with victims in at least South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Virginia, Missouri, and New York. 

Simons pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and faces up to 20 years in prison, forfeiture of assets and property seized from Simons during the investigation, and mandatory restitution. Simons is awaiting sentencing.

According to evidence presented in court, from at least July 2020 through August 2023, the conspirators obtained the stolen personal identifying information of identity theft victims from the dark web, including the names, home addresses, social security numbers, dates of birth, and credit scores of victims from at least nine states.

One defendant’s home was searched by federal search warrant, and that search led to the recovery of a ledger with 151 identity theft victims listed in alphabetical order.  Agents recovered fraudulent identity documents and financial records from numerous conspirators.

Ronda Weston, 49, of Columbia, generally led the scheme and recruited others to participate.  The conspirators used the stolen identities to manufacture fraudulent driver’s licenses, utility bills, pay stubs, social security cards, and bank statements using their identity theft victims’ names and credit but with photos of the conspirators on the driver’s licenses. They then obtained money and property through fraudulent means, including:

• A vehicle purchase scheme, where conspirators obtained luxury vehicles including a Jaguar, a Maserati, a Range Rover, RVs, pickup trucks, sports utility vehicles, sedans, golf carts, motorcycles, three-wheel side-by-side vehicles, and all-terrain vehicles;
• A vehicle title loan scheme, where conspirators obtained title loans from financial institutions in the name of their identity theft victims by claiming they were selling vehicles between themselves;
• A personal title loan scheme, where conspirators obtained personal loans from financial institutions in the name of their identity theft victims by claiming planned home renovations or the purchase of appliances; and
• A residential rental scheme where conspirators fraudulently leased and rented residences in the name of their identity theft victims but for their own personal use, often leaving the residence owner unpaid and a debt in their identity theft victims’ names.

Individual conspirators were responsible for as much as $650,000 fraud through this scheme, and during the investigation, agents seized residences, real property, boats, vehicles, golf carts, cash, and other property as fruits and proceeds of the scheme. Many of the vehicles have been returned to the sellers.

Some conspirators also obtained fraudulent loans through the PPP program, which provided fully forgivable loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration to provide emergency relief to businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional defendants have been convicted of the following offenses:

Ronda Weston, a/k/a “Lisa Caldwell,” a/k/a “Lisa Baker,” pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud related to PPP loans.  Weston faces up to 20 years in federal prison, plus an additional mandatory two years in prison consecutive to any other time, forfeiture of assets and property seized from Weston during the investigation, and mandatory restitution. Weston is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 21.  This is Weston’s third federal prosecution.

Kashon Harrison, 46, of Elgin, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy. Harrison faces an agreed-upon two years in prison, forfeiture of assets and property, and mandatory restitution.  Harrison is awaiting sentencing.  This is Harrison’s second federal prosecution.

Michael Terrance Butler, 54, of Columbia, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. Butler faces up to 20 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 14.

William Charles Brown, 37, of Columbia, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Brown faces a mandatory two years in federal prison, forfeiture of assets and property, and mandatory restitution. Brown is awaiting sentencing. This is Brown’s second federal prosecution.

Monique Sherrie Corbett, a/k/a “Monique Sumter,” 52, of Columbia, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to two years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervision, and more than $37,000 in restitution.

Stanzetta Teresa Johnson, 63, of Columbia, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft.  Johnson faces a mandatory two years in prison, forfeiture of assets and property, and mandatory restitution.  Johnson is awaiting sentencing.

Shakirah Khalidah Chapman, 28, of Columbia, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Chapman faces a mandatory two years in prison, forfeiture of assets and property, and mandatory restitution.  Chapman is awaiting sentencing.

Ashley Nicole Drummond, 39, of Lugoff, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft.  Drummond faces a mandatory two years in prison, forfeiture of assets and property, and mandatory restitution. Drummond is awaiting sentencing.

Darryl Dewayne Dumas, 61, of Palatka, Florida, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to two years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervision.

 United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson accepted the guilty pleas of the defendants and will sentence the eight awaiting sentencing at a later date.  All of the defendants will be subject to court-ordered supervision by the U.S. Probation Office following any term of incarceration.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department with assistance from the Columbia Police Department and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels is prosecuting the case.

WINNSBORO – On Oct. 16, 2024, a resident reported unauthorized charges after using their card at the CVS Pharmacy in Winnsboro. Following an investigation by the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, investigators identified Shy’lexis Coleman, a CVS employee, as the suspect.

Surveillance footage confirmed that Coleman discreetly took a photo of the victim’s card during the transaction.

Upon arrest, Coleman admitted to investigators to having multiple photos of others’ credit cards on her phone. This is an on-going investigation where there could potentially be other victims. The phone is being forensically examined.

This case highlights the importance of staying vigilant with your financial information. We encourage all residents to review their statements regularly and report any suspicious activity immediately.

Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery stresses the importance of taking the following steps to protect financial information:

1. Keep Your Card in Sight: Be mindful when handing over your credit or debit card. If possible, keep it within view during transactions.

2. Watch for Suspicious Behavior: Take note if someone appears to handle your card out of your view or near their personal devices.

3. Monitor Transactions Regularly: Check your bank statements and set up alerts to quickly spot any unauthorized charges.

4. Report Suspicious Activity: If you notice unauthorized transactions, contact your card issuer immediately and report it to local authorities.

RIDGEWAY – Seasoned Pig on the Ridge followers say the event’s 25th annual Friday night No-Pigs-Allowed event was one of the biggest they’d attended over the years. The evening featured the traditional street dance, 32 vendors, fun kids’ activities, and the Southern Reflection band entertaining. Estimates of 2,000 – 3,000 attendees floated easily.

Saturday kicked off with barbeque judging and sales, more children’s activities and vendor sales, a 70-vehicle car show and parade, a hog calling contest, almost 5,000 pounds of barbecued pork butts that sold like hotcakes, and $5,450 in prize money. It was, indeed, a big Pig on the Ridge.

Three of the four former Pig on the Ridge steering committee members, Rufus Jones, Donald Prioleau, and Henry Dixon, who helped found the festival in 2000 and retired from active duty two years ago, were back selling sponsorships and tickets and tooling around the event in golf carts this year. Steering Committee chair Gloria Keeffe and Belva Bush were on duty throughout the event.

Former Ridgeway Town Councilman Don Prioleau emceed the classic vehicle parade with more than 70 vehicles participating.

Professional Category
1st ($2,000): Sadie Beth Barbeque Company – Cook Gage Blue     
2nd ($1,000): Backwoods Bar-B-Que – Cook Gene Culbertson         
3rd ($500): In the Army Que – Cook Tony Sadler                        
4th ($250): Men at Work BBQ – Cook Brian Roach                       
5th: Monkey Bottom Boys – Cook George Ray   

Amateur Category
1st ($500)-  Rick’s Backstreet BBQ – Cook Gabe Miles            
2nd ($250)- Champs Blazzing BBQ – Cook Wilson McNight            
3rd ($125)-  Dale Bones BBQ – Cook Dale Langley
4th ($75)- Smokin Hott Butts – Cook Leslie Spradley                    
5th- Smoke a Good One – Cook Jessie Tenley 

Friday Night No Pigs Allowed
1st- Big Boyz BBQ
2nd- Farms to Flame
3rd- Uncle Willie’s BBQ 

 1st Hog Calling – Tray Perry

Ribs Category
1st- Tail-Gater Hater
2nd-  Sadie Beth Barbeque Company
3rd- Steel Smok’n  Smokerz
4th- Monkey Bottom Boys      

Classic Car Winners
1st – Ronnie Wilson, 1965 Chevy Corvette
2nd – Kenny Brazell, 1969 Chevy Camaro
3rd – Nate Bagley, 1971 C10 Chevrolet pickup truck

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WINNSBORO – After two postponements due to Hurricane Helene, the Fairfield County Council Candidate Forum was finally held last week. While neither of the two incumbents – Dist. 2 Councilwoman Shirley Greene and Dist. 4 Councilman Tim Roseborough – came to answer questions about their service on council or their plans if they are elected, all but one of their challengers attended.

Greene notified The Voice just hours before the event that she would not be attending, and Dist. 4 incumbent Tim Roseborough never responded to any of The Voice’s emails or phone call concerning the forum. Dist. 6 challenger Oren Gadson also did not attend and did not respond to communications from The Voice during the last weeks prior to the forum. Dist. 6 Councilman Neil Robinson is not seeking re-election.

In attendance were Dist. 2 challengers Ann Corrao and Don Goldbach, Dist. 4 challenger Carl Bell, and Dist. 6 challenger Sarah Bryant.

The forum, which was streamed live on The Voice’s Facebook page (The Voice of Blythewood and Fairfield County) was held at Christ Central Community Center on S. Congress Street in downtown Columbia.

About 90 voters attended the forum, sponsored by The Voice, to hear from the candidates.

Two moderators, former mayor of the Town of Winnsboro Dr. Roger Gaddy and educator and comedian Kennedy Robertson, asked the candidates questions that were submitted by members of the audience. Each candidate answered the eight questions in rotating order.

The top issues were how council spends money, council’s lack of transparency, economic development, and the animal shelter.

Goldbach, Bell and Bryant said they were committed to transparency. Corrao gave ways to help insure transparency, including vetting the candidates before electing them.

Goldbach said transparency would be key to his service on council, listing some specifics, including, “If elected, I will call for the reinstatement of the illegally eliminated second public comment session back on to the monthly meeting agenda.”

Bell said his reputation and his license depends on being truthful and transparent.  He said the lack of transparency in the government is one reason he is running for office.

“Being transparent and honest is paramount to getting people to trust you,” Bell said. “The government should not take the people’s taxes then ignore them.”

Bryant agreed that there is a lack of transparency on council.

“When I come to county council meetings, I don’t know what’s going on. I sit there for 45 minutes while little is said and hardly anything is done,” she said. “My whole aim is to put out what I can so you [the public] knows what’s happening. I will remember my frustration so you don’t feel that same frustration.”

All four said they would favor using town hall meetings to keep the public informed. Corrao said she already had two locations picked out to hold her town hall meetings. When asked by moderator Robertson about the two locations, Corrao said she would disclose them if she is elected.

When asked if they would spend hundreds of thousands of the county’s dollars on outside, unrequired agencies when the county’s first responders and animal shelter are not fully funded, Goldbach, Bell, and Bryant made it clear they would not.

Bryant: “No!” Bryant said she wants to “get in there and learn more about that.”

Goldbach: “Our first concern should be the safety and health of citizens. Our county is the top county for revenue per person. So, I can’t understand how we can be in that position and be struggling to provide needed services.”

Bell: “As I’ve campaigned, I’ve heard over and over: services, services, services. People need help. People in western Fairfield County have been forgotten.”

Corrao: While she did not address the question specifically, she talked about balancing the budget and not over spending. “I have written a data analysis program for the budget that’s coming with me if I get elected. Clay [Killian, interim administrator] said, ‘I want that.’ We [the county] are constantly spending more than we bring in.”

One question that drew chuckles and interest was: “Do you get along with your neighbors?”

Bell: “My neighbors love me. They adore me,” he said with a big smile.

“My neighbors love me, and I love them,” Bryant also said with a laugh.

Goldbach: “My current and past neighbors are here in the audience. I invite anyone to ask any of them or our other neighbors about us as neighbors,” he said as he got a laugh from the audience.

Corrao: “If anyone in this room says they get along with their neighbors …No. We know the reality,” she said. “But if you do want to say you get along with everyone, that’s fine. I have people in my neighborhood, in Winnsboro, Ridgeway and Lebanon and my organizations who love me.”

Each candidate gave opening and closing comments.

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FAIRFIELD COUNTY – A man who twice ran for Richland 2 School Board has been charged with Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent.

Darrel President, Sr., 56, former Executive Director of the Greenbrier Resource Community Development Center (CRCDC), a non-profit, has been charged by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) for Breach of Trust with Fraudulent Intent after withdrawing approximately $44,220 from the CRCDC.

President was arrested on Wednesday, Oct, 16.

The arrest warrant states that, “President did knowingly, willingly, and without the lawful authority to do so, take, steal, or convert to his ownership, more than $10,000 from the CRCDC where he was an authorized signer on the bank account for GRCEC and in a position of financial trust.”

According to House Representative, Annie McDaniel, she requested $100,000 in state earmark money for the CRCDC to begin the construction of a community center in Greenbrier.

“During the pandemic, the schools in Fairfield were under enormous classroom constraints and students were having to sit on school buses to access the internet,” McDaniel said. “I was concerned that they didn’t have a better place to go. I couldn’t imagine them doing homework on a school bus. So I requested $100,000 of state money to help the community build a community center so students and others might have a better place to access the internet and enjoy other benefits a center like that could provide.”

From May, 2022 through July, 2023, the GRCDC received that state funding. But, today, construction has not yet begun on the center.

The offense occurred between May 19, 2023 and Feb. 29, 2024, according to the arrest warrant.

The warrant stated that President withdrew approximately $44,220 from the GRCEC bank account without the approval or knowledge of GRCEC board members.

When questioned by members of the GRCEC board, President admitted to withdrawing the money and agreed to pay the money back, according to the warrant. He began making payments back in June, 2024, for the funds fraudulently withdrawn.

After a review of financial records, it was determined that President used the withdrawn funds for his personal enrichment, according to the arrest warrant.

A resident of Columbia, President lost election bids in 2018 and again in 2022 to the Richland Two School Board.

According to his bio, President is a native of the Bronx, New York. He is a pastor and holds several offices and memberships in a number of denominational, civic and community organizations. 

WINNSBORO – A woman was recently indicted on 41 counts of animal abuse charges including abandonment, ill treatment, and torture.

 The charges stem from an incident that occurred in December 2023, when a WDPS (Winnsboro Department of Public Safety) officer was dispatched to the 100 block of Sixth Street in Winnsboro because animals were running loose. The officer reported that he found numerous dogs running loose near a home where they were housed.

The front door to the house was open. As more animals were found inside the home, more officers as well as animal control were called to the home.

Officers reached the home’s owner, Jinger Coffey Chambers, on the phone and she gave permission for the officers and animal control to enter the home, according to the incident report. After conducting a property check, animal control officers deemed the animals kept at the home were not being taken care of.

The animals within the residence were deemed neglected and treated inhumanely. A search warrant was obtained to enter the residence and obtain evidence of how the animals were being cared for.

Chambers told officers that she ran an animal rescue shelter named Farm Rescue and Sanctuary under a federal license 501(c)3.

When animal control asked for the paperwork for all the animals on the property, Chambers could not provide it in reference to vaccination and immunization records, according to the report.

When animal control advised that it could seize all the animals, Chambers voluntarily released 38 dogs, two cats, and one chicken from the residence to animal control.

The Voice has left messages with Sixth Circuit Solicitor Randy Newman’s office at least three times over the last two weeks, to ask about the specifics of the charges and when the case is scheduled for trial, but has had no response.