BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – A Goose Creek woman has admitted to her role in a bribery and kickback scheme connected to federal grant money in North Charleston, according to the United States Department of Justice.
Federal prosecutors said Michelle Stent-Hilton, 56, pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services wire fraud, bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, and money laundering.
The DOJ stated that Stent-Hilton conspired with former North Charleston City Council member Jerome Sydney Heyward to funnel kickbacks through her nonprofit, DEEP SC. The nonprofit had applied for city funds intended to support programs aimed at reducing gun violence.
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According to court documents, in 2022 the City of North Charleston launched a grant program for nonprofits working on gun violence prevention. The DOJ said Stent-Hilton agreed to pay Heyward 20% of any grant money her organization received in exchange for his support and influence as a member of City Council.
The Justice Department said Heyward twice voted to award funding to DEEP SC and at least one other nonprofit without disclosing the agreement. Soon after DEEP SC received $100,000 from the city, Stent-Hilton purchased a $20,000 cashier’s check. Prosecutors said she then routed the payment through a bookkeeper, who wired the money to Heyward’s account to disguise the nature of the transaction.
Stent-Hilton admitted in court that the payment was a kickback.
According to the DOJ, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Richard M. Gergel will impose her sentence after reviewing a report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The Justice Department said 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 are prosecuting.
