⏱ 2 min read
A brazen bribery scheme in North Charleston’s city hall landed a former councilman two years of probation. Sandino Savalas Moses, 51, got caught up in a web of corruption involving Sea Fox Boat Company’s bid for a zoning change.
Evidence showed that Moses was approached by two consultants, Aaron Charles-Lee Hicks and Hason Tatorian Fields, who had been hired by Sea Fox to drum up support for the project. After Moses tabled the matter, Fields attempted to bribe him and even paid two bribes, but Moses eventually repaid the cash and kept quiet about the attempted corruption.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whit Sowards and Emily Limehouse prosecuted the case.
U.S. District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Moses to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service. The punishment was seen as lenient by some, but others pointed out that Moses’ actions were a clear betrayal of the public’s trust.
Related Federal Cases
- Sheriff John Smith, Embezzlement, Kentucky 2020 · Oklahoma
- John Doe, Bank Fraud, California 2022 · West Virginia
- John Doe, Bribery, South Carolina 2023 · Tennessee
- John B. Sawyer Pleads Guilty to Excessive Force Violation, Charlest… · Mississippi
- Charles P. Richards Jr., Bribery, GA 2024 · South Carolina
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Public Corruption
- Defendant: South Carolina
- Location: SC
- Source: DOJ Press Release

