Chesterfield Co. sheriff appears in court on embezzlement, misconduct charges

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, S.C. — Only Channel 9 was there Friday as suspended Chesterfield County Sheriff Sam Parker appeared in court to face to new charges.

Parker, 56, was in the same Columbia courtroom he appeared in on March 22 when he was arraigned on six charges. At that appearance, he was charged with four counts of misconduct in office, and two counts of providing contraband to inmates. He was suspended from office following those indictments in March.

This week, the attorney general added two more charges that were part of the same South Carolina Law Enforcement Division investigation: Embezzlement, and a fifth misconduct charge.

The new indictments against Parker include allegations that he took money meant for chesterfield county, and deposited it into his personal checking account.

First, prosecutors claim Parker received a check for $500 from a fundraising organization on the same day that he hired that organization to do fundraisers for the Sheriff's Office. On Friday in court, Parker's lawyer, Johnny Gasser, claimed that $500 was a referral fee, because Parker had referred several other law enforcement agencies to that same fundraising group.

Secondly, prosecutors allege that Parker took about $900 in proceeds from Pepsi machines placed in his office, and in the county detention center.

Police said Parker took money in the form of checks from Pepsi. Gasser said the sheriff's actions were well known in his office.

"Nothing was hidden. Everything Sam Parker did was 100 percent transparent," Gasser said. "Everyone in the office knew about it. Everyone at the (Pepsi) corporation knew about it."

In Chesterfield County, opinions varied on Parker, and the long list of charges against him.

"I think he's done a wonderful job as sheriff," said Roper McBride. "I have no problem with Sam Parker. He cleaned up a lot of the drugs in this county."

Bobby Willis, however said Parker had disappointed him.

"It's probably all true," Willis said. "But what can we do about it? I mean, it's the police."

Parker also faces charges alleging that he allowed two inmates special privileges in exchange for work done on his property. Indictments claim these two inmates could drive county sheriff's cars, live outside the jail, have visits with women, get alcohol, and take trips with the sheriff.

Another part of the indictment accuses Parker of giving away Sheriff's Department firearms to friends, and using county vehicles on his property as personal vehicles.

Parker was released from jail on a $150,000 personal recognizance bond after the hearing in march. On Friday, a judge added $30,000 to that bond amount.

Parker has been allowed to travel out of state, and to carry one firearm, but no Sheriff's Department weapons.

He has been barred from entering his former office, or the county detention center. He could serve a maximum of 10 years in prison for each misconduct offense if convicted.

A trial date has not been set.

WSOC