A special agent of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has been terminated after 15 years as an investigator with the Gang Intelligence Unit.
On May 25, 2024, SLED Lieutenant Mark R. Berube was stopped for speeding in a state-issued vehicle by an officer of the S.C. State Transport Police (SCSTP). When the officer smelled alcohol on Berube, he was asked to perform a standard field sobriety test and failed.
Within hours of being arrested for driving under the influence, a SLED supervisor was directed to the Lexington County Detention Center to terminate Berube and take his credentials and equipment, according to department public information director Renée Wunderlich.
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“Ultimately, you refused to take a breathalyzer test,” SLED chief Mark Keel wrote in an email to Berube on May 28, 2024. “As a law enforcement officer and SLED Lieutenant, your conduct is unacceptable and you are no longer fit for continued employment at SLED.”
Personnel files have since revealed Berube’s arrest came one month after his supervisors referred to him as “exceptional” in an annual performance review. The S.C. National Guard (SCNG) soldier has since requested a jury trial for his DUI charge.
According to Wunderlich, the last time a SLED employee was terminated for being arrested was in January 2020.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
(Dynal Nolan/FITSNews)
Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy award-winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. Cut from a bloodline of outlaws and lawmen alike, he was the first of his family to graduate college which was accomplished with honors. Got a story idea or news tip for Andy? Email him directly and connect with him socially across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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