Feds Indict Multiple North Charleston Officials In Connection With Ongoing Corruption Probe

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Following months of speculation about federal investigations into widespread corruption emanating out of North Charleston, South Carolina, the office of acting U.S. attorney Brook B. Andrews announced a series of indictments and related charges on Wednesday (February 26, 2025) related to the scandal.

“The citizens of North Charleston deserve better,” Andrews said at a press conference in neighboring Mount Pleasant, S.C.. “The people of South Carolina deserve better.”

The announced charges all stem from schemes allegedly perpetrated by embattled North Charleston councilman Jerome Heyward – whom we previously noted was attempting to sing his way out of trouble.

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Heyward’s tune fell flat, it would appear. The 61-year-old elected official has been charged with multiple federal crimes including bribery, extortion, wire fraud and money laundering. According to an information document – which was unsealed Wednesday – these charges stem from a series of corrupt schemes which allegedly involved Heyward taking bribes, extorting businesses and misusing government funds for his own personal gain.

FITSNews has published several articles in recent months detailing various components of the federal probe, which has reportedly generated “multiple target letters” from prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office.

In addition to Heyward, North Charleston council members Mike A. Brown and Sandino Moses were implicated in these schemes – and have accepted plea deals in relation to their roles. As part of their plea deals, both will be required to resign their elected offices.

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Three other individuals were charged in relation to these schemes…

• Hasan ‘Tory’ Fields, 51, Charleston
• Michelle Stent-Hilton, 56, North Charleston
• Rose Emily Lorenzo, 64, Fuquay Varina, N.C.

Two others entered into plea agreements with the government related to their alleged involvement…

• Aaron Hicks, 37, North Charleston
• Donavan Laval Moten, 46, North Charleston

The unsealed information for Heyward outlined three primary schemes which took place between 2019 and 2024 while Heyward was serving as a member of city council. All told, he is facing fourteen charges.

• Attempted Extortion Under Color of Official Right and Using Fear of Economic Harm
• Honest Services Wire Fraud (Two Counts)
• Conspiracy to Commit Bribery and Honest Services Wire Fraud
• Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds (Boat Rezoning Scheme)
• Honest Services Wire Fraud (Boat Rezoning Scheme)
• Conspiracy to Commit Bribery and Honest Services Wire Fraud (Non-Profit Grant Scheme)
• Theft of Government Funds (Non-Profit Grant Scheme)
• Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds (Non-Profit Kickbacks – Two Counts)
• Honest Services Wire Fraud (Non-Profit Kickbacks)
• Money Laundering (Three Counts)

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SCHEME ONE: EXTORTION

In the first scheme, Heyward is accused of soliciting bribes from a local businessman in exchange for using his influence to push favorable policy changes.

In October 2023, Heyward asked the businessman to donate to his reelection campaign and those of four other candidates. Later, he offered lobbying and consulting services for the businessman’s desired policy changes, demanding $10,000 upfront and $7,500 per month – a fee which was negotiated down to $5,000 per month.

Working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the businessman wired $20,000 in monitored payments to Heyward in March and April 2024. In return, the indictment said Heyward pressured city employees and officials to rezone property, grant licenses and approve land deals without disclosing his financial interest.

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SCHEME TWO: BRIBERY

The second scheme outlined by prosecutors appears to be related to Sea Fox Boats – a Charleston-based company which got mixed up with several North Charleston leaders in a since-scuttled partnership. According to the federal information, Heyward – along with fellow councilman Mike A. Brown – allegedly accepted bribes to support a rezoning request from Sea Fox Boats.

As FITSNews previously reported, Sea Fox sought to collaborate with the city of North Charleston and the Charleston County Parks & Recreation Commission (CCPRC) on a massive project on the banks of the Ashley River.

The preferred 103-acre tract of land – a former hospital site – was supposed to include all manner of public facilities: Athletic fields, playgrounds, picnic areas, a bike path and a massive public pier. Sea Fox’s involvement – and the tens of millions it planned on contributing to the project – were viewed as essential to its success. The sticking point? The company wanted to install a 200,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on a corner of the property, accompanied by a boat launch and dry dock.

For Sea Fox, the manufacturing facility – which would have employed an estimated 300 people – and boat launch were key components of the deal.

“The idea was to buy your boat and pilot it from the dock,” a source familiar with the project said.

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Local residents were having none of it, though.

Following pushback from the community, Sea Fox hired lobbyists and consultants to promote the project and assist in efforts to rezone the property.  As part of those efforts, Sea Fox paid Hicks $10,000 for March and $10,000 for April 2024, and later agreed to pay Hicks $5,000 per month for May and June 2024.  Fields was paid $30,000 upfront and $5,000 per month.

On April 16, 2024, FBI agents secured a court order to intercept wire and electronic communications on Heyward’s personal cell phone. Surveillance began the following day and continued for two months.

On April 17, 2024 – the day before the first scheduled rezoning vote – the FBI intercepted calls from Heyward and Brown in which they discussed concerns that they didn’t have enough support on the city council. Brown expressed frustration that Sea Fox hadn’t yet paid Hicks — specifically stating he wanted money from Hicks to help pay for his son’s wedding expenses – referring to the expected bribe as “free money.”

Brown instructed Heyward to call a contact at Sea Fox and pressure them to pay Hicks before the vote.

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RELATED | SEA FOX BOATS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

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Later that day, Hicks called Heyward to complain that Sea Fox had not paid him the remaining $10,000 for April.

“I’ve been trying to get that squared away before the vote happens tonight,” he said, according to the feds.

According to the document, before the April 18, 2024 city council vote, Hicks paid Heyward $2,500 and Brown at least $1,000 in cash from his Sea Fox consulting fee.

After the April vote was delayed, more bribes were discussed leading up to a rescheduled vote in May.

On May 15, 2024 – one day before the May vote – Heyward and Hicks discussed alternative plans to continue benefiting financially from the rezoning effort.

“Let me ask you this, Jerome,” Hicks said to Heyward on one call. “This is how we eat on the back side in my mind, if we either pull that off… and I keep that deal with (Sea Fox) like I work out, he keeps me on board and then I set my price and we continue to eat, right?” 

By the next day, May 16, 2024, it became clear the rezoning application would not pass and Sea Fox – through CCPRC – withdrew the application before the meeting even started.

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SCHEME THREE: MISUSE OF GRANTS

The third scheme tied to Heyward relates to the much maligned ‘gun grant’ program – a failed taxpayer-subsidized campaign to reduce gun violence in North Charleston.

After reports that city politicians failed to keep tabs on $1.3 million in taxpayer money pumped into this campaign via a network of unvetted and unmonitored nonprofits, FITSNews reported in February of 2024 about “allegations of kickbacks tied to these grants are running rampant through the corridors of power in North Charleston.”

According to the feds, Heyward helped steer city grant funds to two non-profits – DEEP SC and Core4SuccessTwo — in exchange for 20% of the grant funds as a kickback. DEEP SC was run by Michelle Stent-Hilton – who also served as Heyward’s personal assistant – and Core4SuccessTwo was run by Donavan Laval Moten.

Both nonprofits received $100,000 grants after the funding was approved by city council on December 8, 2022.

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RELATED | ‘GUN GRANT’ SCANDAL

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Once the grants were awarded, Heyward instructed Stent-Hilton and Moten to send his cut of the money through Lorenzo Financial Services LLC – an entity run by Rose Lorenzo. According to the indictment, Lorenzo then laundered the money by processing the transactions through her business – ultimately wiring $40,000 to Heyward’s bank account.

This total represented the combined kickbacks from DEEP SC and Core4Success.

Lorenzo, Stent-Hilton and Moten were also charged in relation to this scheme.

As with anyone accused of committing any crime, all defendants named in the federal documents are considered innocent until proven guilty by our criminal justice system – or until such time as any of them 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.

The federal investigation is ongoing and additional charges are expected to drop.

“The city has fully cooperated with this inquiry, embracing the opportunity to ensure the continued trust and confidence of our community,” North Charleston mayor Reggie Burgess said in a statement. “Transparency and accountability remain core principles of this administration.”

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THE INDICTMENT…

(U.S. Attorney’s Office)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.

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