COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – The Department of Justice (DOJ) and several state officials detailed their efforts in enforcing fraud cases in South Carolina, as well as across the Southeast.
During a press conference in Columbia on Thursday, DOJ Assistant Attorney General Colin MacDonald announced that since July 4, the National Fraud Enforcement Division has charged 12 individuals in the Southeast with taxpayer-funded program fraud totaling over $90 million in losses.
MacDonald says the arrests include a $20 million food stamp scheme in Miami and a $1.5 million charter school embezzlement scheme in Louisiana.
The DOJ signed formal data-sharing agreements with 10 state agencies across six states to streamline corporate and benefits tracking for early fraud detection.
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and Attorney General Alan Wilson praised the federal-state collaborative model, comparing its potential success to historical joint operations like the 1980s drug-busting “Operation Jackpot” and recent cross-border Medicaid fraud investigations.
Several cases of fraud were highlighted on Thursday, including a 2022 sextortion case that led to the death of a 17-year-old.
“This is a week where that family should be celebrating his birth, his 22 years on this earth,” said United States Attorney Brian Sterling. “Unfortunately, they are celebrating the fourth anniversary of his death. We brought charges on those cases, and we hope soon to bring it to trial.”
Officials detailed other fraud schemes, including a $65 million green energy tax credit scam in Alabama (Michael Schein), a $2.5 million housing authority theft in Georgia (Melanie Thompson), a $73 million asset forfeiture from a Florida bank fraud case (Mr. Liberti), an immigration visa bribery ring involving small-town police chiefs in Louisiana (Lala Patel), and a $25 million COVID tax break scheme in North Carolina (Nejli Mitchell).
Mississippi AG Lynn Fitch announced “Joint Task Force Vigilance,” while AAG MacDonald closed by detailing how the 10 newly signed state MOUs will provide federal prosecutors with advanced data and AI analytical tools to break down information silos.
This is a developing story. Stay with WIS for updates.
Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.
Copyright 2026 WIS. All rights reserved.
