Ex-Sheriff’s Abuse of Funds Leads to Serious Charges
A former sheriff in South Carolina now faces a lengthy prison sentence after being caught misusing taxpayer dollars for personal expenses like cigarettes, fast food, and even internet games.
Chuck Wright, who is 60 and previously served as the Spartanburg County Sheriff, confessed in court on Thursday to utilizing county credit cards for what turned out to be years of irresponsible spending.
His expenditures included buying nearly 100 packs of cigarettes from Dollar General and spending around $1,300 on mobile games like “Ramp Car Jumping,” “Huntwise,” and “Royal Match.” It’s a bit surprising, honestly. Who would’ve thought a sheriff would spend taxpayer money on gaming apps?
In addition, he racked up about $5,000 at various restaurants, including Fuddruckers and Chick-fil-A, while also shopping at stores like Best Buy and CVS Pharmacy. All this led to over $50,000 being wasted on personal indulgences between 2017 and 2024.
But the situation gets worse. Wright, along with Lawson B. Watson, a man he hired, is accused of plotting to steal at least $80,000 from a charity fund intended to support local police officers. It’s just… incredibly disheartening.
To add to the scandal, he reportedly used charity checks to pay for painkillers from drug dealers and even kept around 150 pills meant for a drug destruction initiative.
Wright pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to federal corruption and wire fraud, which could land him more than 20 years in prison. He might also face restitution in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
After his hearing, U.S. Attorney Brian Sterling expressed frustration, stating, “Fighting corruption is what we’re supposed to do in law enforcement.” It’s hard to argue with that sentiment. He continued, “Nothing irritates a law enforcement officer more than seeing their peers cross ethical lines.”
In a moment of humility, Wright admitted there’s no justification for his actions. “I squandered that dream job by my actions, and for that, I only ask for forgiveness from the people of Spartanburg and my brothers and sisters in law enforcement,” he said in court.
