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Press Release

22 Indicted for Racketeering and Fraud Emanating from Murphy Village

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina

Contact Person: Nancy Wicker (803) 929-3000

Columbia, South Carolina ---- Acting United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Hannah Carroll, Rose M. Mulholland, Kim Mulholland, Caroline Sherlock, Catherine Carroll, Anthony Carroll, Johnny M. Sherlock, Mary Rita Sherlock, Jimmy Gorman, Leslie Gorman, Leslie Ann Sherlock, Jimmy J. Carroll, Mary Costello, Mary Gorman Carroll, Renee Carroll, Rose S. Mulholland, Susan Sherlock Tommy Sherlock, William Carroll, and Johnny Mack, all of North Augusta, South Carolina, and Leonard New and Angela Askew, of Augusta, Georgia; were charged in a 45 count Indictment for Racketeering (RICO) and other crimes related to their fraudulent schemes.  According to allegations in the Indictment, the defendants operated out of Murphy Village near North Augusta and committed a number of fraudulent schemes in order to obtain life insurance benefits, food stamps, Medicaid funds, and fraud involving automobile financing.

The Indictment charges all defendants with RICO Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 1962), other counts in the Indictment name various defendants in counts charging Mail Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), Wire Fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343), Structuring monetary transactions to evade reporting requirements (31 U.S.C. § 5324), and Interstate Transportation of Stolen Items (18 U.S.C. § 2314).

The charge of RICO Conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine; Mail and Wire Fraud each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine; Structuring carries a maximum sentence of 5 years and a $250,000 fine; and the charge of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Items carries a maximum sentence of 20 years and a $250,000 fine. Additionally, these charges include a maximum term of supervised release following imprisonment of 3 years.

This long-term, multi-agency investigation included the Federal Bureau of Investigation; United States Marshal’s Service; United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigative Division; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; the South Carolina Department of Social Services; and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorneys Jim May and Jay Richardson from the Columbia Office and Rhett Dehart from the Charleston Office for prosecution.

The Acting United States Attorney stated that all charges in this indictment are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Updated August 17, 2016