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South Carolina state representative Marvin Pendarvis is staring down a criminal investigation by the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) in the aftermath of allegations of fraud, forgery and attempted bribery. The allegations against Pendarvis were brought to light yesterday in a bombshell civil lawsuit filed by a former client.
According to the pleading (.pdf), Pendarvis defrauded his former client – Adrian Lewis of Charleston, S.C. – by settling a lawsuit against the Dorchester County sheriff’s office without Lewis’ knowledge or approval. Pendarvis allegedly pulled off the deception by forging Lewis’ signature on the settlement agreement. Once Lewis uncovered the truth, Pendarvis allegedly attempted to bribe his former client into keeping silent about his duplicitous behavior.
SLED was asked to investigate the case by the office of S.C. first circuit solicitor David Pascoe.
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“At the request of first circuit solicitor David Pascoe, SLED is investigating,” Renee Wunderlich, SLED’s public information officer, confirmed.
The civil suit – filed by Lexington, S.C.-based attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter – alleged that Pendarvis provided inadequate legal representation for Lewis by settling his claim for much less than it was worth, forging his signature on the settlement, failing to notify him of the settlement and then allegedly keeping the settlement funds for himself.
As of the alleged bribery attempts, text messages cited in the complaint – if authentic – are damning.
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“How much you need the check for?” Pendarvis wrote in one message to Lewis. “Answer the question, man. How much?”
“Let’s handle this shit,” Pendarvis wrote in another message. “You’re not telling me what you need.”
Pendarvis, 34, of North Charleston, S.C. represents the 113th district, has been in the S.C. General Assembly since 2017.
This turn of events marks a significant challenge for Pendarvis, who has held a prominent position in South Carolina politics. The allegations raise questions not only about his conduct as an attorney but also about his integrity and trustworthiness as an elected official. The outcome of both the civil suit and the criminal investigation will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for Pendarvis and his political career.
Our media outlet sought comment from Pendarvis in response to the filing of the lawsuit earlier this week. In the event we receive a response from him, we will share it with our audience.
Stay tuned to FITSNews for the latest developments on this still-unfolding saga …
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Callie Lyons is a journalist, researcher and author. Her 2007 book ‘Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal’ was the first to cover forever chemicals and their impact on communities – a story later told in the movie ‘Dark Waters.’ Her investigative work has been featured in media outlets, publications, and documentaries all over the world. Lyons also appears in ‘Citizen Sleuth’ – a 2023 documentary exploring the genre of true crime.
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1 comment
Put his sorry A.. in jail where it belongs!