Five former Williamsburg County officials indicted for allegedly diverting $398K in public funds during furloughs.

Williamsburg County Treasurer Margaret Kimber W. Cooper and four former county officials—Tiffany Teonta Cooks, Stephen Renard Gardner, Sharon W. Staggers, and Keonta Dewanda Moore—have been indicted on 10 counts of public corruption, including misconduct in office and criminal conspiracy, over alleged unauthorized payments totaling about $398,645 between February 2020 and December 2022. The charges stem from a period when other county employees were furloughed, and the investigation was conducted by SLED and the Attorney General’s office. Prosecutors allege misuse of public funds, including schemes to divert federal relief money and avoid taxes. The case is being prosecuted by the state’s Attorney General’s office, and Cooper is scheduled for a bond hearing on October 17.