Federal Grand Jury Indictments

United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that a Federal Grand Jury in Greenville, South Carolina, returned Indictments against the following:

Laurens Resident Charged with Theft of Government Funds
Tanesha Williams, age 31, of Laurens, South Carolina, was charged in a single-count indictment with theft of government funds, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.  The maximum penalty Williams could receive is ten years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.00.  The case was investigated by agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney David C. Stephens of the Greenville office for prosecution.

Greenville Resident Indicted on Possession of Child Pornography
Christopher Taggart, age 55, of Fountain Inn, South Carolina, was charged in a 1-count indictment with Possession of Child Pornography, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(5)(B).  The maximum penalty Taggart could receive is 20 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000. The case was investigated by agents of the United States Postal Inspection Service and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney William J. Watkins, Jr., of the Greenville office for prosecution.  This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Former Bed Bath & Beyond Assistant Manager Charged with Mail Fraud
Kelvin Abney, age 49, of Simpsonville, South Carolina, was charged in a 2-count indictment with Mail Fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341.  The maximum penalty Abney could receive is 20 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000.  The case was investigated by agents of the United States Postal Inspection Service and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney William J. Watkins, Jr., of the Greenville office for prosecution.

Director and Employee of Fresh Start Community Development Corporation (FSCDC) Indicted on Conspiracy and Monetary Transactions in Criminally Derived Property
Erick Bradshaw, Sr., age 40, and Augustina Cabral-Rice, age 61, both of Anderson, South Carolina, were charged in a 3-count indictment.  Both defendants were charged with Conspiracy, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, which carries a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 and with Engaging in Monetary Transactions, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000.  The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General; US Postal Inspection Service; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations; and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney William J. Watkins, Jr., of the Greenville office for prosecution.

The United States Attorney stated that all charges in these Indictments are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

####