COLUMBIA, S.C. — A former sheriff in South Carolina convicted of abusing his power and stealing money from government programs will likely spend about four to five years in federal prison.
The sentencing date for ex-Chester County Sheriff Alex Underwood has not been set. The FBI says Underwood created a false police report to jail a man for three days for no reason, skimmed overtime pay meant for his deputies, and used taxpayer money to fly first-class to a Las Vegas conference with his wife.
Underwood is one of 13 sheriffs in South Carolina’s 46 counties convicted of crimes since 2010. Five of the 12 sentenced before Underwood have received prison time.