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by JENN WOOD
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A former South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) corporal is accused of accepting more than $550,000 in bribes over nearly five years to smuggle marijuana, cell phones and other contraband into one of South Carolina’s most violent prisons — using Cash App, Zelle and Apple Cash to collect payments before allegedly spending the proceeds on a luxury SUV, designer shopping sprees and thousands of dollars in cosmetic procedures.
The sweeping federal public corruption case, announced Tuesday by the office of U.S. attorney Bryan Stirling, charged seven people in what prosecutors described as a long-running bribery operation centered at Lee Correctional Institution.
Five defendants have already agreed to plead guilty, while two others face a newly unsealed nine-count federal indictment alleging they helped finance and operate the scheme.
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SEVEN PEOPLE CHARGED
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation produced both a federal indictment (.pdf) and a series of plea agreements.
A federal grand jury indicted:
- Courtney Briggs, 39, of Sumter County, on one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.
- Larry Williamson, 51, a former SCDC inmate, on one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, five substantive counts of honest services wire fraud, one count of using an interstate facility to facilitate bribery and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.
Five others, meanwhile, waived indictment and agreed to plead guilty by criminal information (.pdf):
- Lowanda Atkinson, 52, of Kershaw County, a former SCDC correctional officer assigned to Lee Correctional Institution;
- Jason Brown, 43, an SCDC inmate;
- Adrianna Conyers, 37, of Sumter County;
- Christopher Hickman, 46, of Richland County; and
- Mary Ann Hickman-Brown, 64, of Clarendon County.
Each has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. The charges against Briggs and Williamson remain allegations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a nine-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging two people in a $550,000 bribery scheme involving an SCDC corrections officer and two SCDC inmates and their family members and acquaintances. Five others have… pic.twitter.com/1d84npLwXP
— U.S. Attorney SC (@USAO_SC) June 30, 2026
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INSIDE THE ALLEGED $550K SCHEME
According to court documents, Atkinson worked for SCDC from 2007 until 2023, ultimately attaining the rank of corporal before resigning in September 2023.
For much of that time, she served in positions specifically responsible for detecting and preventing contraband. After working in Lee Correctional Institution’s contraband unit, she spent approximately a decade assigned to the prison’s property room, where she was responsible for maintaining inmate property, searching for prohibited items and enforcing SCDC contraband policies.
Federal prosecutors alleged that instead of stopping contraband from entering the prison, Atkinson accepted more than $550,000 in bribes from inmates Larry Williamson and Jason Brown, along with Brown’s relatives and associates, in exchange for introducing prohibited items into Lee between August 2018 and May 2023.
According to the indictment, she smuggled cell phones, phone accessories, tobacco and marijuana into the prison, where Williamson and Brown allegedly sold the contraband to other inmates before splitting the proceeds with Atkinson.
The indictment provides prosecutors’ most detailed accounting of the alleged payments. Investigators allege Atkinson received more than $250,000 in cash generated from contraband sales inside Lee Correctional Institution, more than $150,000 through Cash App accounts linked to inmates and their family members, more than $40,000 routed through Cash App accounts associated with Atkinson’s children, and approximately $4,000 through other peer-to-peer payment platforms, including Zelle and Apple Cash.
Prosecutors further alleged Williamson personally sent more than $4,000 in Cash App bribes to Atkinson, while Briggs allegedly sent more than $15,000 through the platform.
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RELATED | SCDC NURSE ACCUSED OF SEX WITH INMATE, BRIBERY
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CONCEALING THE SCHEME
Federal prosecutors allege the participants took deliberate steps to hide both the flow of contraband and the money generated by the operation.
According to the indictment, Atkinson concealed contraband—including inside potato chip bags—before smuggling it through the Lee Correctional Institution property room on weekends. Prosecutors also allege Jason Brown and Mary Ann Hickman-Brown disguised bribe payments by using Cash App accounts operating under business names and aliases rather than their own identities, while Williamson allegedly created a Cash App account using a stolen identity to make his payments appear legitimate.
The indictment identifies five electronic payments—ranging from $800 to $1,450 and allegedly sent between July 2021 and August 2022—as the basis for the substantive honest services wire fraud charges against Williamson. Several of those payments were allegedly routed to Cash App accounts belonging to Atkinson’s children.
Prosecutors further allege Atkinson transferred the bribe proceeds into her personal bank accounts before spending the money. Among the purchases identified in the indictment are more than $50,000 at high-end designer stores—an amount prosecutors note exceeded her annual salary — as well as a luxury SUV and thousands of dollars in cosmetic procedures.
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POTENTIAL PENALTIES
The conspiracy charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
In addition to the prison terms and fines, prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of any proceeds obtained through the alleged scheme.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office (FBI) and the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General (SCDCOIG). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Samantha Usher are prosecuting the case.
As with all criminal cases, the indictment contains allegations only. Briggs and Williamson are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The five defendants who entered plea agreements must still formally plead guilty before a federal judge and be sentenced.
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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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