Waste of the Day: S.C. Sheriff Spends on App Store, Sirius XM
Topline: Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright pleaded guilty to embezzling $28,240 in federal funds to buy drugs and paying a subordinate an $800,000 salary over four years when he was not working, after being charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina.
A South Carolina ethics commission also charged Wright with 65 ethics violations after allegedly spending $16,142 worth of county funds on himself and hiring his son as a deputy, for a collective $44,382 in misused federal and local funds.
Key facts: A report from the state ethics commission found that Wright’s questionable spending lasted from November 2020 to October 2024.
Wright allegedly used his county credit card for $1,026 in car washes and $1,259 in fast food, including Chick-Fil-A, Krispy Kreme and Waffle House, prosecutors allege. Wright allegedly spent another $4,010 at sit-down restaurants, including steakhouses, and managed to spend almost $1,600 at Dollar General, including on 96 packs of cigarettes.
His other alleged purchases included $1,350 for the Apple App Store, including apps like 8 Ball Pool and Guitar Lessons. He also spent nearly $1,600 on a Sirius XM subscription, according to the state.
Wright exceeded the credit limit on the county credit card six times and paid $210 in fines to First Citizens Bank, the report claims. He may also face nepotism charges for his failure to recuse himself from hiring his son in July 2024.
The ethics charges were filed in October after Wright had already pleaded guilty to federal charges this September.
Prosecutors said Wright and a co-conspirator took money out of the county’s federally funded benevolence fund — used to help police officers in times of financial distress — and used it on oxycodone and hydrocodone pills. Wright claimed the money was spent on travel expenses for a Washington, D.C., trip to honor a murdered colleague.
Wright earned $214,227 in 2023 and was the highest-paid county official that year, the latest year available, according to Open the Books’ payroll records.
The co-conspirator, Amos Durham, also pleaded guilty. He allegedly earned $200,000 per year as the sheriff’s office’s chaplain, plus benefits, from January 2021 to February 2025, even though he was working at his private business the whole time.
Durham resigned on May 16, and Wright resigned on May 23.
Summary: Even policemen themselves are not above the law, reinforcing the need for continuous auditing and oversight for all taxpayer-funded programs.
The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com
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