At least five people linked to South Carolina received pardons or commutations from Donald Trump during the past hours of the former president in office.
Carl Andrews Boggs was pardoned. Boggs, as reported by The Charlotte Observer, was the head of a major road construction company in the Charlotte area and pleaded guilty in 2014 to defrauding South Carolina and the federal government by $ 87 million in road works. The pardon was supported by SC Department of Transportation chairman Tony Cox and others, the White House said.
“Since his release, Mr. Boggs has rebuilt his company, employed hundreds of people and devoted countless hours and financial resources to his community,” said Trump’s White House.
Monstsho Eugene Vernon had his sentence commuted. Vernon served 19 years in prison for committing a series of armed bank robberies in Greenville, Trump’s White House said.
“Evidence showed that several of these offenses involved him carrying BB guns instead of genuine firearms,” according to the statement.
He also survived cancer while he was behind bars.
The switch was supported by Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and the Office of the Attorney for Forgiveness.
David Rowland received total forgiveness. Trump’s White House said Rowland’s asbestos removal license expired when he accepted asbestos removal work at an elementary school. He allegedly completed the job in accordance with other regulations, but received two years of probation for violating the Clean Air Act.
Forgiveness was supported by US Senator Lindsey Graham, RS.C.
Brian McSwain received total forgiveness. According to The Greenville News archives, McSwain is a former Greenville police officer who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the 1990s for involvement in a cocaine trafficking ring.
Authorities said at the time that the operation spanned a decade and was “run by middle and upper class residents of Greenville,” according to the files. A federal grand jury accused 26 people in the operation, including Richard Riley Jr. – son of former South Carolina governor Dick Riley. Riley Jr. pleaded guilty.
Since then, he has reportedly “taken a paid job and been passed over for several promotion opportunities due to his conviction for a crime”.
The pardon was supported by Graham and two former South Carolina District Attorneys and other former officers, the Trump White House said.
Benedict Olberding received a pardon. He pleaded guilty to a charge of bank fraud in a case in the Myrtle Beach area involving a 2011 home loan.
The Trump administration said Olberding is a “full-fledged member of the community who paid his debt to society”, having bought two aquarium stores and offered training to mortgage brokers.
His pardon case was aided by Columbia lawyer Joe McCulloch.
Graham said he was pleased to see Trump grant McSwain and Rowland pardons.
“These claimants for forgiveness have fulfilled the terms of their sentence and their debt to society,” said Graham. “It is important that they have continually displayed good character since their sentencing.”
The names were included in a list of 144 people who received pardons or commutations related to Trump’s last day on Wednesday.
Jamie Lovegrove, Andy Shain and Conor Hughes contributed to this report.
Reach Schuyler Kropf at 843-937-5551. Follow him on Twitter at @ skropf47.