As federal officials continue their multi-faceted investigation of allegations involving a prominent Upstate country club, a South Carolina law firm with offices in Columbia, Charleston, Georgetown, Greenville, Rock Hill and Sumter announced its own investigation into the matter.
According to a press release posted on its website this week, the law firm of McGowan, Hood and Felder is “investigating several allegations of sex scandal” involving the Thornblade club, an exclusive country club located in an upscale neighborhood of Greer, SC, with the same name.
As our readers know, the club is at the heart of the Thornblade saga – a confluence of obscene scandals that this media outlet has been investigating since the end of July.
As we have observed since the beginning of our coverage, the Thornblade saga has generated 1) allegations of embezzlement and other financial irregularities involving the golf club, 2) allegations of a “prostitution ring” (or “sex ring”) involving several Thornblades neighborhood residents, and 3) allegations involving an “athletic team at a government high school near Taylors, SC”, that would be in some way connected to the prostitution / sex network charges.
There are also reports of blackmail related to rumors from the prostitution / sex network.
The investigation of the various sexual allegations is currently being led by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) special investigations unit (HSI).
How serious is this survey? We don’t know … although HSI has obviously conducted interviews related to the case, and the agency has referred a deputy to the Greenville County sheriff with alleged knowledge of the allegations to his agency’s internal affairs office.
As we noted last month, this investigation ended in controversy …
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RELATED | THE THORNBLADE SAGA
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Meanwhile, the investigation into the club’s financial affairs is being conducted by the United States Secret Service (USSS), an agency that has broad jurisdictional authority over “Internet-enabled financial crimes”.
As we noted in September, HSI’s investigation revolves around a group of men who refer to themselves as “The Disciples”.
According to our sources, the members of this secret club would pay an estimate $ 5,000 for $ 10,000 a month to enjoy their “amenities” – including antics with young sexual partners provided by nearby schools.
Leaving the club was apparently problematic, however.
When a “Disciple” allegedly expressed a desire to leave the group earlier this year, he was told in no uncertain terms that leaving was not one option. Then, when the member refused to pay his tuition, his wife would have received video evidence of her infidelity – which is apparently one of the flashpoints that pushed this saga into public opinion.
According to the law firm’s statement, it is “focusing exclusively on information about students who may have been sexually abused or forced into sexual abuse ‘relationships’ with any adult member of the Thornblade Club.”
“Under South Carolina law, an adult who engages in sex with a minor can be charged with a crime and be held responsible for damages,” the statement added. “Minors cannot legally consent to sexual intercourse with adults. As such, these victims of abuse have rights granted to them under state and federal laws. “
An Upstate lawyer familiar with the case told us that the law firm’s appeal was probably linked to a pending legal action based on actionable intelligence.
“There was no way for the company to disclose this without some real information and a customer,” said the lawyer.
Randall Hood – one of the founding partners of the company – is former president of SC Association for Justice, formerly known as the association of trial lawyers. The biography on its website boasts “more than 25 years of experience helping injured people fight corporations, hospitals and malefactors”.
“He’s a heavy hitter,” an Upstate promoter told us.
At least one civil suit with possible links to the Thornblade saga was filed earlier this year against the Greenville County school district. According to this process (.pdf), Brian Gem Garrison – a former assistant tennis coach in Eastside High School in Taylors, SC – was protected in supposedly predatory activities by the school’s athletics director.
As we reported months ago, Garrison caught the attention of HSI investigators due to his alleged proximity to the Thornblade saga.
Leading media outlets in Greenville reported the lawsuit filed against the school district, however, they have not yet linked to the HSI investigation or the various allegations related to Thornblade.
Stay tuned … this news medium continues to closely monitor developments related to this case. We will update our readers if we receive any information related to the consultation from McGowan, Hood and Felder.
-FITSNews
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