Sharpe's trial postponed until March

By PHILIP LORD Senior writer

The federal trial for Agriculture Commissioner Charles Sharpe has been postponed until March 14.

Sharpe, a Wagener resident, was scheduled to go on trial Monday charged with extortion, money laundering and lying to investigators in connection with an Aiken County cockfighting operation, but that date was moved back several months ago at the request of the defense, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Moore.

The former Aiken County Republican lawmaker was arrested, arraigned and released on a $100,000 bond on July 29.

According to the indictment, which followed a two-year investigation, Sharpe lied about the cockfighting operation to an undercover officer working on an FBI and State Law Enforcement Division investigation.

Moore told U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie in September much of the trial's time will be spent listening to recordings from the undercover sting.

Moore has estimated the evidence will take more than a week to put before a jury, which will be drawn from a statewide pool. Currie has slated two weeks of the court's time for the trial, which involves the highest ranking state official to be charged with wrongdoing in recent memory.

Facing Sharpe, 66, are two counts alleging extortion under color of law in violation of the Hobbs Act, seven counts of money laundering and three counts of making false statements to federal law enforcement officials.

If convicted, Sharpe faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 on each of the two counts of extortion; 20 years and a fine of $500,000 on each of the seven counts of money laundering; and five years and a find of $250,000 on each of the three counts of making false statements to federal law enforcement officials. There are no mandatory minimum sentences on the charges.

Following the indictment, Gov. Mark Sanford issued an executive order suspending Sharpe from office without pay. In September Sanford appointed Bowman dairy farmer Hugh Weathers as the interim agriculture commissioner.

The charges facing Sharpe stem from his alleged relationship with the South Carolina Gamefowl Association and he operators of "The Testing Facility," which was later renamed "The Carolina Club."

A November 2003 raid at The Carolina Club resulted in the breaking up of a cockfighting ring, and 120 people were charged with participating in the illegal activity, which is a misdemeanor in the Palmetto State.

According to the charges, Sharpe accepted at least $20,000 from the organization, which is involved in the breeding and raising of birds for cockfighting in exchange for helping the group avoid legal trouble, according to U.S. Attorney J. Strom Thurmond Jr.

Contact Philip Lord at plord@aikenstandard.com.

Copyright © 2003, The Aiken Standard