FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS

COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- United States Attorney Reginald I. Lloyd announced today that a Federal Grand Jury in Charleston, South Carolina returned Indictments against the following:

PARISH INDICTED ON 11 COUNTS OF MAIL AND WIRE FRAUD

ALBERT E. PARISH, JR., age 49, of Summerville, was charged in an 11-count Indictment with mail fraud and wire fraud, violations of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1341 and 1343. He was also charged in one count with making false statements and providing false documents to officials with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The maximum penalty ALBERT E. PARISH, JR. could receive is a fine of $250,000 per count and/or imprisonment of up to 20 years for each of the 10 mail fraud/wire fraud counts and 5 years for the false statement charge.
The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Law Enforcement Division, the State Attorney General's Office, with assistance from officials at the Securities and Exchange Commission. The case has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Charlie Bourne of the Charleston office for prosecution.

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WOMAN INDICTED FOR TAMPERING WITH CONSUMER PRODUCTS

KAREN L. WYNDHAM age 45, of Cottageville, SC, was charged in a two count Indictment with tampering with consumer products with reckless disregard for the risk and danger of bodily injury to others, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1365(a); and tampering with consumer products for the purpose of causing serious business injury, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1365(b).

The Indictment alleges in Count 1 that on April 4, 2007, WYNDHAM recklessly and with disregard for the risk and danger of bodily injury to others, placed rodent poison into three previously sealed packages of ground beef, then placed the tainted meats in the meat display of a Super K-Mart store. Count 2 charges WYNDHAM with the tampering of consumer products with the intent to cause serious business injury.

The maximum penalty that WYNDHAM could receive for count 1 is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment of 10 years; and for count 2, WYNDHAM could receive a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 3 years.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and investigators from the SC Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the North Charleston Police Department. The case has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Eric J. Klumb of the Charleston office for prosecution.

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ARMED BANK ROBBERY

WILLIAM EDWARD COBB, age 43, of Cottageville, South Carolina, was charged in a two count Indictment with armed bank robbery and using a firearm during a violent crime, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2113 and 924( c).
The maximum penalty WILLIAM EDWARD COBB could receive is a fine of $500,000 and/or imprisonment of 30 years.
The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Sean Kittrell of the Charleston office for prosecution.

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TWO CHARGED WITH THEFT OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTY

BRENDA WHITESIDE, age 43, of Awendaw, was charged in a 1-count Indictment with theft of government property, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.

The indictment alleges that from December 2002 through September 2006, WHITESIDE willfully and knowingly did steal and convert to her own use partial unemployment benefits, property of the United States of a value more than $1,000.

The maximum penalty that WHITESIDE could receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment of 10 years.

The case was investigated by agents of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Rhett DeHart of the Charleston office for prosecution.

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CAROLYN WRIGHT, age 40, of Awendaw, was charged in a 1-count Indictment with theft of government property, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.

The indictment alleges that from December 2002 through September 2006, WRIGHT willfully and knowingly did steal and convert to her own use partial unemployment benefits, property of the United States of a value more than $1,000.

The maximum penalty that Wright could receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment of 10 years.

The case was investigated by agents of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Rhett DeHart of the Charleston office for prosecution.

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Mr. Lloyd stated that the charges in these Indictments are merely accusations and that the defendants charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.