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Under a steady morning rainfall, former Spartanburg County sheriff Chuck Wright walked past reporters gathered outside a federal courthouse in Greenville, S.C. to attend a status conference in his federal case.
The purpose of Wright’s third appearance in federal court on Thursday was procedural. The hearing was held to confirm the government had provided all materials necessary for the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services (USPPS) office to complete a pre-sentence report ahead of his sentencing.
Wright, wearing a noticeably shorter haircut and snap-on reading glasses hanging from his neck, showed little outward emotion. He appeared visibly worn under the strain of legal proceedings that could carry a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison.
In October of last year, Wright pleaded guilty to three charges stemming from what federal prosecutors said they were prepared to prove at trial: that he stole 147 prescription painkillers, diverted $89,000 in cash from a sheriff’s office benevolence fund, and employed a “no-show deputy” for roughly two decades.
The plea triggered one of the most consequential downfalls in Palmetto State law enforcement history…
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With a 40-year law enforcement career brought to an abrupt end, Wright sat quietly with his legs crossed before Thursday’s hearing began. He broke his stillness only to apply lip balm and scan the courtroom, briefly making eye contact with a FITSNews reporter.
Once the hearing was underway, U.S. District Judge Timothy Cain pressed prosecutors on whether all materials required to complete the pre-sentence report had been disclosed.
“Hopefully, I will get some clarity over where we are and where this case is going,” Cain said, noting what he described as delays in ensuring all materials had been provided to the appropriate parties. “I’m concerned about the delay in these developments.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott Daniels told the court that more than 45,000 pages of discovery had been produced in two volumes. Daniels assured the judge all “discoverable” material had been turned over, prompting follow-up questions from Cain about whether any additional information remained outstanding.
Daniels disclosed that a full discovery audit had been conducted across the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). According to Daniels, only four “small” pieces of information were identified as having been omitted.
He added that the material does not “move the needle for any defendant.”
Daniels then outlined the nature of those items.
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WHEN CHUCK CALLED SLED…
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One item omitted from disclosure involved a SLED case management log reflecting that Wright, during the course of the multi-agency investigation into his department, contacted the state agency to report a “tip.” No additional details about the tip were disclosed in court, and Daniels emphasized it was “not related to the investigation.”
Daniels also referenced the existence of a federal tip originating from within the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO). According to Daniels, a whistleblower alleged Wright was abusing narcotics and misusing his credit card. The tipster was interviewed as part of the investigation, Daniels said.
He further noted the existence of a second anonymous tip in which the sender accused Wright of nepotism and narcotics abuse.
Other omitted materials involved Wright’s co-defendant, former sheriff’s office chaplain Amos Durham, a Baptist preacher who admitted to misusing funds from the sheriff’s office benevolence fund alongside Wright.
Daniels said a separate tip alleged Durham spent “more money than he was entitled to.”
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RELATED | CHUCK WRIGHT GRANTED CONTINUANCE IN STATE ETHICS CASE
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Separate disclosures concerned the final co-defendant in the public corruption case, Lawson ‘L.B.’ Watson, a Wright relative who admitted to fraudulently receiving more than $200,000 in salary while simultaneously operating a private construction business.
Daniels said two additional documents related to Watson’s wage statements.
Wright’s defense attorneys, former U.S. congressman Trey Gowdy and attorney Greg Harris, did not object to the disclosures. Counsel for Durham, Frank Epps, and counsel for Watson, Beattie Ashmore, similarly raised no concerns and commended the government for its efforts.
The only thing now standing between Wright and formal sentencing is completion of the mandatory pre-sentence reports for all three defendants. Until those reports are finalized and reviewed, the court cannot set a date for punishment.
Whether Wright will serve a single day in prison remains an open question, though, given Gowdy’s record of seeking presidential pardons. President Donald Trump has also demonstrated a willingness to grant clemency to federally convicted law enforcement officials.
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In light of that history, FITSNews asked Gowdy after Thursday’s hearing whether he had discussed a potential presidential pardon in this case with Trump. That question, along with two follow-ups, was met with silence as Gowdy hung his suit jacket inside his pickup.
He eventually offered only, “alrighty, y’all stay dry.”
Despite the federal case, Wright’s alleged ties to an illegal gambling operation in Spartanburg County remain unaddressed by authorities. FITSNews has previously published firsthand accounts related to those claims and continues to review information as it becomes available.
Write to Andrew Fancher at andy@fitsnews.com.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Andrew Fancher is a Lone Star Emmy Award–winning journalist from Dallas, Texas. He joined FITSNews in 2023 after leaving an NBC affiliate, where he served as on-air talent. His reporting focuses on public corruption in South Carolina, with an emphasis on law enforcement misconduct and abuse of power.
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2 comments
So an Obama appointed judge who was the former law partner of Lindsay Graham and a former public defender and a former congressman who is enamored with Graham. Wonder how that sentencing will go. I’m sure a pardon is probably forthcoming no matter the outcome. Oh and Wright was instrumental in getting little lord Fauntleroy William Timmons re-elected. The swamp is still alive and well.
Apparently in spring 2020, a SC attorney was told Wright was going down for reasons not mentioned here. Looks like there have been those who have wanted Wright taken down long ago, well before 2020. Intereting as well are that the public details seem more like a mundane cover for the true sordid details. So, I agree with Vini that this could end as a slap on the wrist.