A Clarendon County woman is among seven people charged in connection with an alleged $550,000 bribery and contraband smuggling scheme at Lee Correctional Institution, according to federal prosecutors.
Mary Ann Hickman-Brown, 64, of Clarendon County, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud after being charged by information, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina announced. Prosecutors said Hickman-Brown was one of five individuals who waived indictment and agreed to plead guilty for their alleged roles in the scheme.
A federal grand jury in Columbia also returned a nine-count indictment charging Courtney Briggs, 39, of Sumter County, and former S.C. Department of Corrections inmate Larry Williamson, 51. Briggs is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. Williamson faces charges including conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, five counts of honest services wire fraud, using an interstate facility to facilitate bribery, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.
Also agreeing to plead guilty are former SCDC corrections officer Lowanda Atkinson, 52, of Kershaw County; SCDC inmate Jason Brown, 43; Adriana Conyers, 37, of Sumter County; and Christopher Hickman, 46, of Richland County.
According to court documents, Atkinson worked for SCDC from 2007 until resigning in 2023. At the time, she was a corporal assigned to the property room at Lee Correctional Institution, where she was responsible for maintaining inmate property, searching for contraband and enforcing contraband policies.
Federal prosecutors allege Atkinson accepted more than $550,000 in bribes from Brown, Williamson and Brown's family members and associates in exchange for smuggling contraband into the prison. The contraband allegedly included cellphones, phone accessories, tobacco and marijuana, which Brown and Williamson then sold to other inmates.
Authorities allege Atkinson received payments through Cash App, Zelle and Apple Cash and used the proceeds to purchase a luxury SUV, designer items and thousands of dollars in cosmetic procedures.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The same maximum penalty applies to the conspiracy charge filed against the defendants who agreed to plead guilty.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Samantha Usher are prosecuting the case.
