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In a hearing in front of South Carolina circuit court judge Carmen T. Mullen, bond was set this week for two former Hampton County public officials who were indicted last week in connection with ongoing S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigations.
The indictments were announced on August 15, 2024 by the Public Integrity Unit (PIU) of the S.C. fourteenth circuit solicitor’s office, which is run by solicitor Duffie Stone. The fourteenth circuit PIU is a collaboration with the office of S.C. first circuit solicitor David Pascoe.
The aforementioned investigations ensnared former Hampton County administrator Rose-Dobson Elliott and former Hampton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputy Justin Edwards. Dobson-Elliot was charged with embezzlement of public funds in an amount less than $10,000, while Edwards was charged with embezzlement of public funds in an amount greater than $10,000 – and misconduct in office.
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RELATED | LOWCOUNTRY OFFICIALS INDICTED
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At the brief bond hearing – held at the Hampton County courthouse – Mullen set a $10,000 personal recognizance bond for Dobson-Elliott and a $40,000 bond for Edwards. Both parties were instructed to turn themselves into the Hampton County detention center on their own volition.
Our audience will recall Hampton County’s finances have come under intense scrutiny in recent months amid a host of allegations including “fraud, millions of dollars in missing or misspent funds and a habitual failure to report required financial information to the public.”
In April 2023, interim county administrator Heather Simmons Jones filed a report (.pdf) with the Hampton County sheriff’s office accusing Dobson-Elliott of stealing funds from the county. Dobson-Elliott left the Hampton County job in December 2022 to take a position in Jasper County as the director of engineering services.
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Our media outlet is continuing to investigate the allegations against Dobson-Elliott – although we are also delving into reports of alleged malfeasance by the administration which followed her in office.
Stay tuned for more on that…
As for Edwards, our audience will recall he resigned from his job as assistant chief of the Estill, S.C. police department amid an ongoing investigation into the administration of former Hampton County sheriff T.C. Smalls.
As with anyone accused of committing any crime, Elliott and Edwards are considered innocent until proven guilty by our criminal justice system – or until such time as they may wish to enter some form of allocution in connection with a plea agreement with prosecutors related to any of the charges filed against them.
Count on FITSNews to keep our audience in the loop in the latest developments in Hampton – and to follow the story wherever it may lead.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
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