In a decisive move for accountability, Spartanburg County Administrator Cole Alverson and former councilman David Britt contacted the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) in late 2024 after an ethics‑hotline tip alleged that Lawson “LB” Watson, a code‑enforcement officer with the sheriff’s office, was being paid for work he never performed.
Tip sparks informal inquiry
The tip prompted an informal investigation that quickly uncovered multiple red flags. Alverson reported that Chief Deputy William “Billy” Parris could not produce any records of Watson’s duties, and retired administrative Captain Mark Berry hinted that something was amiss.
When Alverson, Britt and former Sheriff Chuck Wright met, Wright praised Watson as a “good worker” and mentioned a past relationship between Watson and a female employee of the sheriff’s office. Wright then instructed Lieutenant Todd Floyd to supply Alverson with Watson’s performance records.
Agents find no documentation
Lieutenant Floyd returned with a troubling finding: there were no official records documenting Watson’s performance. According to Special Agent Austin Mills’ interview memorandum, Watson “only occasionally came to the office and left notes.” The lack of documentation reinforced the suspicion that Watson was a no‑show employee.
Alverson also noted rumors that Wright was addicted to prescription pills and that Watson might have been involved in supplying those substances. He stressed that these were merely rumors and not proven facts.
Federal charges and convictions
Months later, a federal grand jury charged Wright, Watson and former sheriff’s office chaplain Amos Durham. All three pleaded guilty in October 2025 to public‑corruption offenses. Wright admitted to conspiracy to commit theft of federal funds, wire‑fraud conspiracy and obtaining controlled substances by misrepresentation. He is serving a 41‑month sentence at FCI Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
Durham received five years of probation after pleading guilty to theft‑of‑federal‑funds conspiracy. Watson pleaded guilty to a single count of wire‑fraud conspiracy and is serving 16 months at USP Hazleton, West Virginia. Despite his guilty plea, limited SLED recordings indicate Watson did, in fact, show up to work on occasion.
Local officials’ role highlighted
The swift action by Alverson and Britt demonstrates the importance of local oversight. Within 24 hours of their tip, SLED agents interviewed both officials at Tindall Corporation, where Britt has been employed since 1988. SLED later released ten of the more than thirty interviews it conducted, including Alverson’s detailed account of how the investigation unfolded.
This case underscores the value of ethics hotlines and vigilant county leadership in exposing misuse of public resources. By bringing the matter to state and federal authorities, Spartanburg County officials helped secure convictions that protect taxpayer dollars and reinforce the rule of law.
Original reporting: FITSNews — read the source article.
