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A once-powerful sheriff in the Upstate region of South Carolina has stepped away from his post — and possibly into serious legal peril — as a federal grand jury prepares to weigh potential criminal charges against him.
Sources familiar with the inquiry assert the focus of the probe is Charles “Chuck” Wright — the longtime sheriff of Spartanburg County and one of the most visible law enforcement officers in the Palmetto State.
Investigators have issued a flurry of subpoenas to current and former members of the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), with witness testimony scheduled to begin within the month.
Two individuals with direct knowledge of the probe described hours-long interviews involving agents from both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the S.C. Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
When asked whether SLED could confirm or deny the existence of such a probe, an agency spokeswoman offered only a stock response:
“SLED does not have any information to provide on this matter at this time.”
An FBI spokesperson, when contacted by FITSNews, responded:
“I am not at liberty to confirm a potential investigation.”
That silence stands in stark contrast to what’s purportedly unfolding behind the scenes.
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? FEDERAL GRAND JURY TARGETS SPARTANBURG SHERIFF
— Andrew Fancher (@RealAndyFancher) April 2, 2025
?Spartanburg County, South Carolina
A federal grand jury is expected to begin hearing testimony this month in connection with a criminal investigation involving longtime Spartanburg County Sheriff Charles “Chuck” Wright,… pic.twitter.com/9BSybxKxps
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According to sources, the investigation is not centered on Wright’s alleged misuse of a county-issued credit card totaling more than $53,000 — nor does it appear to focus on a separate S.C. State Ethics Commission (SCSEC) inquiry into the controversial hiring of his son.
It also doesn’t involve prior FITSNews reporting on a former SCSO lieutenant who spent months distributing hardcore pornography — including bestiality — from a county IP address while on duty.
Instead, federal investigators appear to be circling a figure far less known to the public — but potentially far more central to the case: Lawson Berry ‘L.B.’ Watson.
A 73-year-old business owner, Watson has publicly listed himself as an SCSO employee on Facebook since 2020. According to numbers obtained through open-source intelligence, he received a county paycheck exceeding $54,000 as recently as last fiscal year.
The S.C. Criminal Justice Academy (SCCJA), which maintains training and certification records for all sworn law enforcement officers in the state, confirmed to FITSNews it has no file for Watson — ruling out the possibility that he holds a certified law enforcement position.
What he actually does for the county remains unclear.
Despite holding an on-paper position as a codes enforcement officer, Watson owns and operates a construction business headquartered in Duncan, S.C. Sources say he spends most of his time running that private enterprise — while still on the county clock.
When federal agents asked about Watson’s role with the county, they were given information which – according to our sources – later proved to be false. Such a misleading claim could trigger a federal charge under 18 U.S. Code § 1001, which prohibits lying to federal investigators.
And that’s not the only thread agents are pulling.
According to multiple sources familiar with the status of the inquiry, investigators have obtained screenshots of at least one text message between Wright and a deputy — in which the sheriff allegedly asked about obtaining opioids via unsecured SMS.
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“He was just texting people,” one source said. “Straight up. No encryption. Nothing.”
While rumors of a wiretap involving a drug dealer remain unconfirmed, attorneys close to the case believe the narcotics angle has drawn serious interest from federal authorities.
In a separate effort to confirm allegations of drug use, FITSNews filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with SLED last July for an email allegedly containing video footage of Wright involved in a drug exchange. The agency later responded that it was “unable to locate or identify any such records.”
Wright has served as Spartanburg County’s top lawman since 2004, building a public persona rooted in hardline rhetoric, conservative values and a zero-tolerance stance on drugs and crime.
Now, his abrupt leave of absence is reportedly tied to a stay at a rehabilitation clinic.
Confirmation of his departure came on April 1, 2025, shortly after Wright was seen in a private meeting with former federal prosecutor and Fox News personality Trey Gowdy. The two reportedly sat in a parked truck outside the sheriff’s office for about two hours.
Following their meeting, Wright addressed his command staff and announced an indefinite leave.
“We are aware that the Sheriff has taken a leave of absence; however, we do not have any additional information at this time and it would be inappropriate for us to speculate,” a county spokesperson told FITSNews via email.
Whether Gowdy is formally representing Wright remains unclear, but his presence — and his federal courtroom résumé — has fueled speculation among legal observers that Wright’s exposure is significant.
Neither SCSO, Wright nor Gowdy responded to FITSNews’ request for comment.
This story may be updated.
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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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13 comments
This makes me sad. I hope that Sheriff Wright will be okay.
Hopefully this doesn’t turn into another “federal investigation” that never has its details revealed or an outcome made.
It is scary how many people in Spartanburg cover for him and/or make excuses for his BS.
You need to look under your own sleeve bag rock u crawl from under. Sound like criminal sheriff Wright been looking for.
Chuckie looks like you have screwed up and the shits about to hit the fan. Just like little Jimmy Metts in Lexington the power goes to your head and winds up getting you in the end. You are the sheriff but you are not above the law!
The State Of South Carolina allowed another good man to bite the dust.
County Sheriffs in South Carolina have unbridled power and no rules of accountability.
It will take the SC Legislature to pass a SC Sheriff Accountability Law.
This needs to be done sooner rather than later.
Not to mention the good people He took down unjustly. If you know you know,
That’s not factually correct. You don’t have any evidence of wrong doing by sheriff Wright? Why you think you’re judge and jury for accusations by his enemies?
So how is it when SCSO arrests someone, they make sure the arrestee is massively slandered with all the charges publicly released & drenched in innuendos, but we get crickets when it comes to Chuckie? How about start with chld mlsting & trafkng. Add his bestie, Sheriff David Taylor & buddy-in-crime Gowdy. F0llow the money and you will find the children’s remains.
You’re going to need a good CIVIL ATTORNEY FOR the DEFAMATION LAWSUITS YOU’RE GOING HAVE
Sad
There probably needs to be a term limits law for Sheriffs. The alure of abusing power when you are 20+ years into the job and basically entrenched is just too strong for most people.
This sounds like a typical pain killer addiction driven by the industrial medical complex. The story goes something like this: Chucky has back pain from sitting on his ass for the majority of his career surrounded by the tools of his trade in the bat mobile. Chuck calls his doctor, AKA drug dealer, to complain about his back to which the drug dealer calls in a prescription to the local legalized drug warehouse. Chucky has found the miracle of modern medicine and is now a reliable customer of big pharma and the doctor, drug dealer, finds he can now afford that new BMW he has been dreaming about.
Everything is fine and dandy until Chucky finds he needs a pill more often and his prescription runs out before the end of the month. This likely has gone on for months or even years as Chuck begs for a few more every now and then and the doctor, drug dealer, reluctantly complies until he doesn’t. That is when the legal addiction becomes illegal.
Think about it. Your doctor, drug dealer, grows a heart and tries to lower your use of these painkillers. I know drug dealers have no heart but use your imagination. So the drug dealer cuts Chucky off and Chucky freaks out. Chucky knows his people are busting people all the time for opioids and sooooo he gets the boys to help with his pains.
I’m sure there is more to the story but if I was a betting man I would wager a healthy sum that this part of the story will be found to be true.
I agree with you about the pain meds , that was my first thought. Chuck is a good man caught up in pain meds. Only Chuck knows the truth. I hope that he recovers and gets help for his pain. There’s no telling what was in the street drugs they could have had fentanyl in them causing the addiction much more severe.