WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Five former Williamsburg County officials have been indicted on public corruption charges, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced Thursday.

The South Carolina State Grand Jury returned a 10-count indictment concerning allegations of public corruption for the five former officials.

Former Williamsburg County Treasurer Margaret Kimba W. Cooper faces charges for misconduct in office, use of official position or office for financial gain, and criminal conspiracy.

Former Supervisor Tiffany Teonta Cooks, former Sheriff Renard Gardner, former Clerk of Court Sharon W. Staggers, and former Chief of Administration Keonta Dewanda Moore are also facing misconduct charges, using their position for financial gain, and criminal conspiracy, Wilson’s office said.

Cooks and Gardner were previously indicted for money laundering charges.

The indictments alleged that the listed officials accepted payments over their salaries beginning in February 2020 until December 2022.

The payments totaled $398,645.11 and were received while other county workers were furloughed.

Past information released by the attorney general’s office claimed that Gardner and Cooks participated in a scheme to “improperly pay thousands of dollars of government funds to Gardner, and avoid taxes or withholdings on the amounts paid, by routing the government money to Gardner under the guise of checks written to a third party.”

Gov. Henry McMaster suspended Gardner from his post on Thursday, Mar. 6, after he was indicted. Clemson Wright Jr. was appointed to serve in the interim.

The South Carolina State Grand Jury, in partnership with SLED and the attorney general’s office, investigated these cases.  

The cases will be prosecuted by the chief attorney of the State Grand Jury Section, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General S. Creighton Waters, Assistant Attorney General Savanna Goude, and Assistant Attorney General Walt Whitmire.