Following the announcement of charges against eight individuals in a public corruption scheme, four have entered guilty pleas. The defendants include two former North Charleston city council members. They were granted release pending sentencing on unsecured bonds.
The guilty pleas were made in federal court by Jerome Sydney Heyward, 61, a former North Charleston City Councilmember; Sandino Savalas Moses, 50, another former council member; Donavan Laval Moten, 46, founder of Core4Success Foundation; and Aaron Charles-Lee Hicks, 37, a resident of North Charleston.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel accepted the pleas and will determine sentences after reviewing reports from the U.S. Probation Office. Heyward and Moten each face up to 20 years imprisonment, fines of $500,000, and three years of supervised release. Hicks faces similar imprisonment terms but with fines up to $250,000. Moses could receive up to three years imprisonment with fines reaching $250,000 and one year of supervised release.
The FBI Columbia Field Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse and Whit Sowards are handling prosecution.
