Missing South Carolina Sheriff Resurfaces At Church

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

After weeks of speculation over his whereabouts, the longtime sheriff of Spartanburg County, South Carolina finally resurfaced — not at his office, but on a church livestream — as a multi-agency investigation into his department intensifies.

At approximately 10:00 a.m. EST on Sunday (May 11, 2025), Sheriff Charles “Chuck” Wright was caught on video during a service at Rejoice Lutheran Church — wearing his badge and sidearm as he moved through the congregation.

FITSNews began receiving tips about Wright’s appearance shortly after the service ended, with multiple parishioners saying he had quietly asked them not to tell anyone he was there. But by then, the video had already made his presence publicly verifiable.

***

?? MISSING SOUTH CAROLINA SHERIFF RESURFACES AT CHURCH

? Spartanburg County, South Carolina

After weeks off the radar, Sheriff Chuck Wright has resurfaced — not at his office, but on a church livestream — more than six weeks after quietly taking a “leave of absence” amid a… pic.twitter.com/GLarmpx5tO

— Andrew Fancher (@RealAndyFancher) May 16, 2025

***

“A criminal knows how to hide,” said a former deputy, reacting to the sheriff’s appearance at the church. “As one of Chuck’s constituents, I’m done footing the bill for a sheriff who shows up to church wearing a badge and a gun he doesn’t deserve.”

Rejoice Lutheran — pastored by a former captain with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) — is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the name of Chuck Wright’s wife, Kim Wright, according to records from the South Carolina Secretary of State’s office.

As a nonprofit organization, the church is tax-exempt and faces minimal financial reporting requirements to the Internal Revenue Service — a noteworthy detail given its proximity to businesses previously investigated in connection with multi-state money laundering schemes.

Notwithstanding the sheriff’s personal and financial ties to convicted gamblers, admitted pedophiles and accused fraudsters, a banner outside his church reads “Celebrate Recovery” — a message not without irony, given Wright’s alleged addiction to pain pills and rumors of attempted rehabilitation.

***

***

While the sheriff has yet to return to a department steeped in scandal and federal scrutiny under his leadership, his reappearance comes more than six weeks after county officials confirmed his “leave of absence” from SCSO on April Fools’ Day 2025.

During his absence, sources reported that Wright retained multiple firearms and thousands of dollars’ worth of SWAT gear — either purchased or seized by the department — none of which county officials have publicly acknowledged, despite repeated inquiries to leadership.

As FITSNews previously reported, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) have been asking questions about internal spending at the sheriff’s office, as well as personnel arrangements made under Wright’s leadership.

One deputy interviewed as part of the multi-agency probe said agents specifically asked about Lawson Berry “L.B.” Watson — a relative of Chuck Wright who has drawn a paycheck from SCSO while simultaneously running a private construction business for decades.

Although Watson does not list any SCSO employment prior to 2020 on his personal Facebook page, campaign disclosure forms from his failed S.C. Senate bid years ago show he was receiving a $31,000 annual salary from the sheriff’s office as early as 2007.

The same deputy said investigators also raised questions about the department’s tax-exempt benevolence fund — including the role of SCSO’s sole paid chaplain, Amos Durham, a local pastor who helped manage the fund until his abrupt resignation last week.

***

RELATED | SHERIFF’S CHAPLAIN RESIGNS AS PROBE OF CHUCK WRIGHT ESCALATES

***

These topics — among others — were reportedly raised following the impaneling of a federal grand jury last month at the Matthew J. Perry Courthouse in Columbia, S.C., where at least four witnesses were subpoenaed to testify as part of the multi-agency probe.

And while Wright has remained silent, the public’s view of his driveway continues to speak volumes.

For the past three weeks, readers have submitted photos and videos documenting movement at the sheriff’s home in Wellford, S.C. — including repeated activity involving his county-issued 2024 Ford F-150 King Ranch, a red pickup valued at more than $73,000.

Records obtained by a former deputy showed taxpayers covered a significant portion of the truck’s cost. It was later fitted with a full-size truck bed gun safe, which sources say the sheriff’s attempted to upgrade using county funds — not for functionality, but because he preferred the look of a newer model.

This past week, the sheriff’s constituents observed a spike in activity at the property — including sightings of at least one vehicle believed to belong to the sheriff’s scandal-scarred son, Jared “Andy” Wright, who currently draws a paycheck from SCSO despite longstanding nepotism concerns.

Deputized in July 2024, Andy Wright’s allegedly illegal hiring by his father triggered an investigation by the S.C. State Ethics Commission (SCSEC), which remains active and ongoing, according to sources.

***

Around 11:00 a.m. EST on Monday, a case of Bush Light Apple was photographed beside a Ford F-150 truck, which was hooked to a trailer parked in front the sheriff’s garage. That same trailer was later seen attached to a blue Ford F-250 — a vehicle believed to be Chuck Wright’s personal truck.

Time-stamped photographs showed continued movement of all three vehicles, along with trash cans consistently repositioned adjacent to the garage.

Chuck Wright, a product of the Startex, S.C. community, began his law enforcement career with SCSO in 1986 and was first elected sheriff following a Republican primary runoff in 2004. Now serving his fourth term, he remains one of the longest-tenured sheriffs in South Carolina.

“I worked nearly three decades at SCSO,” said a former deputy. “If we’d known the real Chuck Wright, we never would’ve helped get him elected back in 2004… I can’t speak for others, but I regret ever backing what turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

As of the sheriff’s definitive return to Spartanburg County, his next move — whether it be to make more alleged retaliatory terminations, hold a press conference or resign — remains unclear.

Neither SCSO nor county officials have commented on Wright’s return or the ongoing investigations into his department.

This story may be updated.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…

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.

***

WANNA SOUND OFF?

Got something you’d like to say in response to one of our articles? Or an issue you’d like to address proactively? We have an open microphone policy! Submit your letter to the editor (or guest column) via email HERE. Got a tip for a story? CLICK HERE. Got a technical question or a glitch to report? CLICK HERE.