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by JENN WOOD
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The central figure in a sweeping federal public corruption investigation that rocked North Charleston politics has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, capping one of the most significant municipal corruption prosecutions in recent South Carolina history.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced former North Charleston councilman Jerome Heyward, 63, to 72 months in federal prison after he admitted participating in multiple schemes involving extortion, bribery and money laundering. The court also ordered Heyward to pay $200,000 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release following his incarceration.
Three co-defendants were sentenced alongside him.
Former North Charleston councilman Mike A. Brown previously received 24 months in federal prison for accepting a bribe in exchange for supporting a controversial rezoning application. Michelle Stent-Hilton and Donavan Laval Moten were each sentenced to 18 months after admitting they paid Heyward $20,000 kickbacks in exchange for his support of nonprofit grant applications.
With Tuesday’s sentencings, nearly every defendant charged in the sprawling corruption investigation has now been held accountable. Only financial consultant Rose Lorenzo — who pleaded guilty to laundering kickback payments — is still awaiting sentencing.
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Following the hearing, U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling said the case represented a deliberate betrayal of the public by elected officials entrusted to serve their communities.
“This is a decision to destroy the public trust,” Stirling said. “No one is above the law. Mr. Heyward is not above the law and his co-defendants are not above the law.”
In a statement announcing the sentences, Stirling said defendants “who broke the public trust have been held accountable” and thanked investigators with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) for their work.
FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore said public corruption “undermines the trust that citizens place in people with power,” while SLED Chief Mark Keel called “pay-to-play politics” an “egregious abuse of the public’s trust.”
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U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling speaks following the sentencing of two former North Charleston City Councilmen and their co-conspirators in a public corruption scheme. @FBIColumbia and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigated.
— U.S. Attorney SC (@USAO_SC) June 30, 2026
Read more: https://t.co/nFMI3CceSr pic.twitter.com/EczeBERaLl
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Three Corruption Schemes
Federal prosecutors said Heyward abused his position on the North Charleston City Council through three separate corruption schemes between 2019 and 2024.
The first involved extorting a local businessman by demanding payments in exchange for using his official position to advance zoning changes and other government actions.
The second centered on the proposed rezoning of the former Baker Hospital property, where prosecutors said Heyward and Brown accepted bribes from political consultant Aaron Hicks in exchange for supporting a rezoning application connected to a company with business before the city council.
The third involved North Charleston’s violence reduction grant program. According to prosecutors, Heyward agreed to steer taxpayer-funded grants to nonprofits operated by Moten and Stent-Hilton in exchange for $20,000 kickbacks from each recipient. Prosecutors said Lorenzo later helped conceal the payments through money laundering transactions.
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RELATED | Feds Indict Multiple North Charleston Officials
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FITSNews Reported On Probe Before Charges
FITSNews closely tracked the investigation long before federal prosecutors unsealed charges in February 2025.
At the time, prosecutors accused Heyward of operating a series of “pay-to-play” schemes involving city business, while Brown and fellow councilman Sandino Moses entered plea agreements that required them to resign from office.
The federal investigation also exposed alleged efforts to monetize a controversial proposal to redevelop the former Baker Hospital property, where intercepted phone calls allegedly captured council members discussing expected payments tied to an upcoming rezoning vote.
Separately, investigators alleged Heyward used his influence to steer taxpayer-funded violence reduction grants to favored nonprofits in exchange for personal kickbacks—a scandal that grew out of longstanding questions surrounding North Charleston’s oversight of its gun violence prevention grant program.
Tuesday’s sentencings follow earlier prison terms imposed on co-defendants Hicks and Hasan “Tory” Fields.
Lorenzo, who admitted laundering kickback proceeds through her financial services business, has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced at a later date.
While the criminal cases are nearing their conclusion, Stirling’s remarks after Tuesday’s hearing underscored a broader message from federal prosecutors: public corruption investigations remain a priority, and investigators intend to continue following financial trails wherever they lead.
“Our law enforcement partners, SLED and the FBI are going to follow the money and the corruption every time,” Stirling said.
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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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1 comment
Hey Jerome you should have turned the music down when the nice policeman asked you. Karma is a bitch! LOL!