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by JENN WOOD
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Spartanburg County, South Carolina councilman Monier Abusaft – a local attorney who represents district one on the county’s governing body – was arrested Thursday afternoon on a misdemeanor assault charge, according to jail records.
Abusaft, 36, was booked into the Spartanburg County detention center on March 5, 2026 after being arrested by the police department at the University of South Carolina-Upstate.
According to detention center records, Abusaft was charged with assault and battery in the third degree, a misdemeanor offense under South Carolina law. The charge carries a potential penalty of up to 30 days in jail or a $500 fine, if convicted.
Booking records indicate Abusaft was arrested at 3:39 p.m. EST and remains confined at the jail as of Thursday evening. A bond amount had not been set at the time of his booking.
Also, authorities have not yet released details regarding the circumstances that led to the charge.
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SECOND ASSAULT CASE IN TWO YEARS
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The arrest of Abusaft on Thursday marked the second assault-related case involving him in the past year.
In 2025, the county councilman was charged with third-degree assault and battery following a dispute involving a resident on Bomar Avenue in Spartanburg. Police reports at the time alleged the incident escalated during an argument over trash cans blocking a roadway.
Witnesses told officers the dispute turned physical after Abusaft exited his truck and shoved a trash can toward the alleged victim during the confrontation, according to police.
Abusaft denied wrongdoing and indicated he intended to challenge the allegations in court.
That charge was later dismissed, according to court records.
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COUNTY LEADER AND LOCAL ATTORNEY
Abusaft has served on Spartanburg County Council since 2021. His current term is scheduled to run through January 1, 2029.
In addition to his elected role, Abusaft operates a private law practice, Mo Abusaft Law, based in Spartanburg. According to his professional biography, his practice focuses primarily on criminal defense, family law, and civil litigation.
Before his election to county council, Abusaft worked in both private practice and public service roles in the Spartanburg area.
As of Thursday evening, officials had not released additional details about the alleged incident that prompted the arrest.
FITSNews has requested additional information from USC Upstate Police. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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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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5 comments
He’s also the baby daddy of one of the Greenville solicitors top lieutenants and both the baby mama and the Greenville solicitor used to work for the Spartanburg solicitor.
Watch the recording of the 2/16 Spartanburg County Council meeting. Abusaft offered to “meet outside” with one man, and when a woman said he was disrespectful for texting during the meeting, he responded that her “shorts are disrespectful”.
Same meeting, Abusaft stated that he didn’t see any of his constituents in the audience, then later clarified he didn’t he any black folks in the audience, therefore voters from his district weren’t there. Seemed pretty insulting, especially when blacks don’t even make up the biggest racial demographic in his district.
In the epically long meeting, Abusaft cut one presenter on a pretty low-priority issue short and asked to table his presentation for another time because he couldn’t focus anymore (after the FIOLT drama). Seemed weird he, and not the chariman, would do that, plus rude, especially considering they let the SCC president drone on about…absolutely nothing… for a very long time.
I wonder why Abusaft, and not the supposed council chairman, Manning Lynch, is always the one doing interviews with the media about…everything. Also, wondering why Lynch couldn’t keep track of procedures by the end of the four hour meeting, includingtrying to move an item through without it being voted on, but that’s another story.
Just so you know, Abusaft previously clerked for Pleicones at SC’s supreme court.
Otherwise, for a media outlet who is on new-found kick of championing the “impartial jury” part of the 6th Amendment, you are very happy to ignore the “speedy and public trial” the “confronted with the witnesses against him” part, the “compulsory process” part, and the rest of it.
You also are regularly happy to ignore the 8th Amendment wholesale.
And the presumption of innocence receives only lip-service, if any recognition at all, from y’all.
All you seem to want is hanging judges as soon as someone points a finger at a defendant.
And if the judge doesn’t hang the defendant upon your say-so, you want the judge him/herself hanged.
You can’t pick and choose from the Constitution. Respect all of it, or drop the act.
It’s all whitey’s fault.
His assault charge from last year was because a man tried to stop him from driving through his yard. Trees were blocking the road after Helene blew through and the victim set some trashcans up in his yard to keep people from driving through. Abusaft got in an argument with him and then hit him with a trash can then drove through the man’s yard. He can’t be bothered with turning around and going the long way.