Former top SC deputy who lived double life as gambling kingpin headed to prison
In the law enforcement world, he was a trusted top deputy in the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.
In the criminal world, he was a kingpin who protected illegal gambling from law enforcement raids and got big payoffs.
And on Wednesday, his double life exposed, former Florence County sheriff’s deputy Lt. Mark Edward Fuleihan, 49, was sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge R. Bryan Harwell.
Evidence in the public corruption case — the result of a joint state-federal operation — showed that Fuleihan “was essential to the ability of the gambling operation to operate,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Thursday in a news release.
Fuleihan used his former position as a senior officer with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office to uncover details about the joint federal and state investigation into the illegal gambling operation, which included calling South Carolina Law Enforcement officials and requesting to be informed about any upcoming operations related to gambling enforcement, according to the release.
Fuleihan would share this information with members of the illegal gambling operation, and the members would use it to evade law enforcement and to destroy “potentially relevant evidence,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
At least one member of the illegal gambling operation explained how Fuleihan would sell previously seized gambling machines back to members of the illegal gambling operation, according to the release.
“We trust our law enforcement officers to protect society and stand against wrongdoing,” acting U.S. Attorney Rhett DeHart said in the release. “When an officer violates that trust, it is imperative that we hold them accountable. I commend our state and federal partners for doing just that in this case. This team was able to dismantle a criminal organization that was bolstered by a crooked cop and to send that officer to prison.”
Fuleihan was one of nine people charged in the case and is among eight defendants who have pleaded guilty for their role in the illegal operation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Illegal gambling houses in the Pee Dee region had operated since at least 2014, evidence showed. Gambling revolved around illegal betting machines, and law officers documented approximately $1 million in cash being deposited into the accounts of at least two members of the gambling organization.
The investigation led by SLED and federal Homeland Security Investigations began a year ago at the request of the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.
It focused on allegations that a senior law enforcement official was obstructing the ability of SLED and others to monitor illegal gambling operations by, among other things, informing those gambling operators about planned law enforcement activity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s news release.
On April 2, 2020, Fuleihan was arrested on a state ethics act bribery charge and was indicted by a South Carolina grand jury for misconduct in office and ethics act bribery charges on May 14, 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Federal charges for obstruction of justice were filed on June 30, 2020, and a federal grand jury indicted Fuleihan on Oct. 20, 2020, for operating an illegal gambling business, conspiracy to obstruct enforcement of state criminal law, and obstruction of an official proceeding, according to the release.
Then-Florence County Interim Sheriff William Barnes fired Fuleihan, who had served as a Florence County Sheriff’s Deputy since 1995, from his position just before his arrest by SLED.
“When a law enforcement officer breaks the law, it tarnishes the entire profession, and we lose the respect of the communities we serve,” SLED Chief Mark Keel said in the news release. “SLED is committed to continuing our work with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure that we have professional accountable law enforcement in South Carolina.”
In addition to SLED and Homeland Security, the case was investigated by the Florence County Sheriff’s Office and the State Grand Jury.
Following Fuleihan’s release from federal prison, where there is no parole, he will be under court-ordered supervision for three years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The South Carolina State Grand Jury charges remain pending at this time.
Fuleihan was represented by state Rep. Todd Rutherford, who is a Columbia attorney and a top South Carolina State House Democrat. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Shoemake prosecuted the federal case.
Along with Fuleihan, the U.S. Attorney said that the following co-defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to terms of probation or house arrest: Timothy Dane Keefe, 39, of Lake City; Thyrone Eaddy, 54, of Lake City; Cliff Cantey, 62, of Lake City; Kenneth Moore, 64, of Salters; George Dollard, 70, of Lake City; and Leroy Barbour 51, of Florence.
Co-defendant Sheryl Kirby, 52, of Lake City, has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing, while co-defendant Dale Smith, 64, of Lake City, has been charged but has not entered a plea in the case or otherwise been convicted, according to the release.
“A law enforcement officer’s badge and gun are not only symbols of trust and professionalism, but they are also tools that should be used for protecting the public, not enabling criminal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Ronnie Martinez, who oversees Homeland Security operations in North and South Carolina. “Corruption in law enforcement undermines the public’s trust and makes all of our jobs harder.”
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This story was originally published June 17, 2021 at 9:09 AM with the headline "Former top SC deputy who lived double life as gambling kingpin headed to prison."
