https://abcnews4.com/news/local/williamsburg-county-sheriff-and-supervisor-given-100k-bond-on-corruption-charges-stephen-gardner-tiffany-cooks-wciv-abc-news-4-03-18-2025

Suspended Williamsburg County Sheriff Stephen Gardner and former Williamsburg County Supervisor Tiffany Cooks were each given a $100,000 bond Friday in court following their indictment on charges of public corruption among additional offenses.

Gardner and Cooks, both embroiled in scandal following a nine-count indictment handed down last week, didn't enter a plea during the hearing. However, Judge Heath Taylor in Richland County courthouse ordered they surrender their passports and not communicate with anyone from the Williamsburg County's sheriff department unless for "legitimate calls for service."

The indictment charges Gardner and Cooks with allegedly conspiring with Cooks in a scheme to improperly pay "thousands of dollars" of government funds to himself and avoid taxes or withholdings on the payments by routing the money to himself under the guise of checks written to a third party.

Gov. Henry McMaster suspended Gardner on Wednesday, March 12, and Clemson Wright, Jr. was appointed to serve as interim sheriff pending resolution of the charges, according to the South Carolina Attorney General's office.

Gardner had been with WCSO since May 2015, according to his LinkedIn profile, signing on with the agency the same month former Williamsburg County Sheriff Michael L. Johnson was sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the FBI.

Gardner's charged counts include:

Count 1: Criminal conspiracy - Up to five years in prison and/or fine up to $5,000

Count 2: Misconduct in office - Up to 10 years in prison

Count 4: Receiving anything of value to influence action of public official - Up to 10 years in prison and/or a $0-$10,000 fine

Count 7: Acceptance of rebates or extra compensation - Three months to five years in prison and a $100-$500 fine

Count 8: Money laundering between $20,000 and $100,000 - Up to 10 years in prison

Cook's charged counts include:

Count 1: Criminal conspiracy - Up to five years in prison and/or fine up to $5,000

Count 3: Misconduct in office - Up to 10 years in prison

Count 5: Offering anything of value to influence action of public official - Up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine up to $10,000

Count 6: Embezzlement - Up to 10 years in prison and a fine in discretion of the court

Count 9: Money laundering between $20,000 and $100,000 - Up to 10 years in prison

The case will be prosecuted by Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General S. Creighton Waters and Assistant Attorney General Savanna Goude.