PRESS NOTICE

W. WALTER WILKINS

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

DISTRICT OF SOUTH CAROLINA

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1441 Main Street * Suite 500 * Columbia, SC 29201 * (803) 929-3000 *

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October 16, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT PERSON: KEVIN F. MCDONALD      (803) 929-3000

FORMER SLED AGENT SENTENCED

Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney W. WALTER WILKINS stated today that former SLED agent WILLIAM RENARD “RAY” GOURDINE, age 44, of Columbia, was sentenced in federal court for conspiracy to commit extortion.  United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie of Columbia sentenced Gourdine to a term of imprisonment of 18 months without parole.

Both Gourdine and his co-defendant Anna Margaret Chappelle pled guilty earlier this year. Evidence presented at Gourdine’s plea hearing established that Gourdine was a Special Agent with SLED from approximately June 2005 until January 2008.   He became the focus of a joint investigation by the FBI and SLED last September after agents learned that he received cash payments to provide protection for an illegal video poker business.   An undercover operation was set up by investigators to determine if Gourdine would accept illegal payments in exchange for revealing information from ongoing SLED cases concerning video poker.  On two separate occasions, a cooperating witness met with Gourdine and paid him cash, with instructions that Gourdine report back on the status of video poker cases.   Gourdine accepted the cash, and made attempts to learn details of the investigations.  Investigators were able to capture incriminating information from the monitored meetings and in recorded phone calls to Gourdine,  who accepted  approximately $3,200.00 in illegal payments. Gourdine was fired by SLED after the completion of the undercover investigation.

Ms. Chappelle, Gourdine’s co-defendant who cooperated with the investigation prior to Gourdine’s indictment, was sentenced to three years probation.

The case was investigated by agents of the FBI and SLED.  Assistant United States Attorneys Deborah B. Barbier and Mark C. Moore of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.