United States of America v. Jerome Sydney Heyward

Charleston, South Carolina, criminal defense lawyers represented the Defendants charged with interference with commerce by threats or violence.

Jerome Sydney Heyward, 63, a former North Charleston City Councilmember, has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for extortion, bribery, and money laundering.
Mike A. Brown, 47, former North Charleston City Council Member, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for accepting a bribe from Aaron Hicks in exchange for his support of a rezoning application.
Michelle Stent-Hilton, 58, of North Charleston, and Donavan Laval Moten, 48, founder of Core4Success Foundation, were each sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for paying Heyward $20,000 kickbacks in exchange for his support of their applications for grant funds.

Heyward was charged in three separate schemes with corruptly using his position as a North Charleston City Councilman to personally enrich himself through bribes, kickbacks, and extortion and to deprive the citizens and the government of North Charleston of their intangible right to the honest services of the North Charleston City Council. In the first scheme, Heyward extorted a businessman by soliciting payments in exchange for his official action as a City Councilman. In the second scheme, Heyward conspired with Mike A. Brown and Aaron Hicks to solicit and accept bribes from Aaron Hicks—working on behalf of a company with business before North Charleston City Council—in exchange for his support of the rezoning of the Baker Hospital site. In the third scheme, Heyward conspired with Donavan Moten and Michelle Stent-Hilton to embezzle taxpayer funds from North Charleston. Heyward agreed to support Moten and Stent-Hilton’s applications, submitted on behalf of their non-profits, for violence reduction grants. In exchange, Moten and Stent-Hilton each agreed to pay Heyward $20,000. Thereafter, Heyward conspired with Rose Lorenzo to launder the funds to conceal the nature and source of the kickbacks.

Previously, co-defendants Aaron Charles-Lee Hicks and Hason Fields were sentenced. Rose Lorenzo pleaded guilty for her role in the conspiracy, and her sentencing will be scheduled at a future date.

The defendant is hereby committed to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to be imprisoned for a total term of 72 months; said term consists of 72 months as to Counts 1-3, 6, 11-14; 72 months as to Counts 5, 8-10; and 60 months as to Counts 4 and 7, all to run concurrently. The defendant shall pay a $1400.00 special assessment fee and restitution in the amount of $200,000.00 both due immediately. $100,000.00 is joint and several with co-defendants Donavan Moten (2:25CR00358) and Rose Lorenzo (2:25CR00369); and $100,000.00 is joint and several with Michelle Stent-Hilton (2:25CR00369) and Rose Lorenzo (2:25CR00369). The court makes the following recommendations to the Bureau of Prisons: He shall be designated to Edgefield or a facility close to his home to facilitate family visitation. The defendant is remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal. Upon release from imprisonment, the defendant shall be on supervised release for a term of three (3) years; said term consists of three years as to each count to run concurrently. While on supervised release, the defendant shall comply with the mandatory and standard conditions of supervision and the following special conditions. 1. You must not incur new credit charges, or open additional lines of credit without the approval of the probation officer. 2. You must provide the probation officer with access to any requested financial information and authorize the release of any financial information. The probation office may share financial information with the U.S. Attorney's Office. 3. You will be subject to placement in the Financial Litigation Unit Wage Garnishment program for the purpose of collecting restitution, if deemed necessary by the U.S. Probation Officer. 4. You must pay any remaining unpaid restitution balance imposed by the Court in minimum monthly installments of $100 per month, to commence 60 days of release from custody. The payments shall be made payable to Clerk, U.S. District Court and mailed to PO Box 835, Charleston, SC 29402. Interest on any restitution ordered as to this defendant is waived. Payments shall be adjusted accordingly, based upon the defendants ability to pay as determined by the Court. 5. You must satisfactorily participate in and successfully complete a mental health treatment program and follow the rules and regulations of that program. The probation officer, in consultation with the treatment provider, will supervise your participation in the program (provider, location, modality, duration, intensity). 6. You must contribute to the cost of any substance abuse testing, treatment, location monitoring, and/or other program services if ordered as a condition of supervision not to exceed the amount determined reasonable by the Court-approved U.S. Probation Office's "Sliding Scale for Services," and you will cooperate in securing any applicable third-party payment, such as insurance or Medicaid. The defendant shall forfeit the defendant's interest in the following property to the United States as directed in the Preliminary Order of Forfeiture, filed 1/29/26 and the said order is incorporated herein as part of this judgment.