LATTA FELON SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 15 YEARS

United States Attorney W. Walter Walkins announced today that Ray Lavonda Smith, age 32, of Latta, was sentenced in federal court to 185 months imprisonment by United States District Judge Terry Wooten, following his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm..

Evidence in the case showed that Latta police responded to a “shots fired” call on January 11, 2008. Witnesses told officers that Ray Smith had shot at another man. Police stopped a car matching the description of the suspect vehicle and performed a pat down search of Smith, who was seated in the passenger seat. Officers seized a loaded .22 caliber revolver from Smith’s coat pocket, at which time Smith slipped out of his jacket and fled from the scene on foot. There was one spent shell casing in Smith’s gun.

Smith has numerous prior convictions: Distribution of Crack and Possessing a Firearm in 1994; Distribution of Crack in 1995; Possession of Crack in 2001; Resisting Arrest in 2004; Assault and Battery in 2005; and Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature in 2006.

The case was investigated by the Latta Police Department, the Dillon County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rose Mary Parham of the Florence Office.

Latta Man Guilty of Fraud

United States Attorney W. Walter Wilkins stated that William Lashon Campbell, a/k/a Waylon Maurice Campbell, age 26, of Latta, pled guilty to fraud.

Campbell was employed by a local finance company, and stole customers’ personal and account information. He used the stolen data to manufacture and pass counterfeit commercial checks between April and September 2007. A search of Campbell’s residence was conducted by the Latta Police Department in November 2007, at which time additional counterfeit checks, counterfeit identification cards, and stolen credit card account numbers were retrieved.

Mr. Wilkins stated the maximum penalty Campbell can receive is a fine of $250,000.00 and imprisonment for 10 years. He will be sentenced at a later date.

The case was investigated by the Latta Police Department and agents of the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II, of the Florence office handled the case.

Former Latta Mayor Charged with Defrauding SSA

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney W. Walter Wilkins stated today that former Latta Mayor Alan L. Berry, Age 57, and Harold J. Kornblut, age 56, both of Latta, South Carolina, were charged in a federal Indictment with theft of government funds, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.

Federal agents allege that while Berry was collecting Social Security disability payments from 2004 to 2008, he was also receiving disqualifying salary income as the Mayor of Latta, and from his employment with co-defendant Kornblut at a tax service. Agents charge that Berry directed that his City and tax service paychecks be issued in his wife’s name, so that he could continue to collect disability. Kornblut is charged for his role in knowingly issuing the tax service checks to further the fraud.

The maximum penalty Berry and Kornblut could receive is a fine of $250,000.00 and imprisonment for 10 years.

Mr. Wilkins stated that the case was investigated by agents of the Social Security Administration and that he has assigned the case to Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II, of the Florence office for prosecution.

The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this Indictment are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.