CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A former North Charleston City Councilmember was sentenced to federal prison for his involvement as the “master of the game” in a public corruption scheme.
Jerome Heyward was taken into custody immediately after his hearing due to mental health concerns. He faces six years in federal prison and must pay $200k in restitution, one-half on his own and the other with several co-defendants. It comes amid a joint investigation from 2024 between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, SLED, and the FBI.
“He was the ringleader. The judge used another term, but he was in charge,” Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, said. “He was the coordinator of all this corruption and this scheme that we saw in the shakedowns and everything and the bribery. Very unfortunate. It’s very disturbing that this happened.”…