Issuu

LOCAL

FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

EMBEZZLEMENT

SHAW

FROM PAGE A1

been accused of embezzling money in Title I, Title II, IDEA and other funding from the U.S. Department of Education from 2010 to 2013. The charges are in direct violation of Title 18, U.S. code, section 641, which states, “Whoever embezzles, steals, purloins, or knowingly converts to his use or the use of another, or without authority, sells, conveys or disposes of any record, voucher, money, or thing of value of the United States or of any department or agency thereof ... shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.” If convicted for one or both violations, Dinkins-Robinson will have to forfeit any cash proceeds, real property and vehicles obtained as the result of the violations to the United States. According to the indictment, DinkinsRobinson will have to forfeit $2,206,234 in cash proceeds, one real property located in Camden and three vehicles if she is convicted of the violations. In addition, Dinkins-Robinson who now faces a possible maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 in the case investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. After reviewing the evidence, a federal grand jury in Columbia returned the two-count indictment against Dinkins-Robinson. In recent years, Dinkins-Robinson and MLD had a several issues regarding the school’s charter. In 2012, the South Carolina Public Charter School District decided to relinquish its partnership with the Lee County school, which threatened the school’s operation at the time. Now closed, MLD operated out of a number of properties, including the Word International Ministries on North Guignard Drive in Sumter. Laura Bayne, public relations representative for the South Carolina Public Charter School District, said they are aware of the charges and that both Dinkins-Robinson and her lawyer were present during a public board meeting held at the organization’s district office Thursday afternoon; however Bayne stressed that the South Carolina Public Charter School District is no longer associated with Dinkins-Robinson. “We’re aware of it and we have had little interaction with them over the months,” Baynes explained. “But we’re no longer affiliated with them.” The case has been assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston D. Holliday Jr. for prosecution.

established a “quality force review board” to examine certain personnel and positions for elimination. The 20th Fighter Wing has 787 airmen eligible for such “non-voluntary” separation. Of those, 160 have opted for a voluntary retirement or separation, but Hall told the breakfast crowd other cuts will have to be found in the base’s personnel. “There is a level of anxiety on base,” Hall said, “because through all this, we’re continuing to deploy.” Shaw’s civilian employees have also seen positions eliminated because of more than a million dollars in lost funding for on-base facilities. An activities center and a pool have been shuttered, librarians have been laid off, and food services at the Carolina Skies Club, where the breakfast was held, have been privatized. On-base maintenance has been reduced to emergency work orders and mission-essential facilities. Those airmen who are left have seen their flying hours reduced, raising concerns about the Air Force’s combat readiness. “They fly half the time I did when I was their age,” Hall said of today’s pilots. “I never flew less than 200 sorties a year. They’re lucky to fly 108. ... In any

PRIDE FROM PAGE A1 A bill in the S.C. Senate, called the Dilapidated Buildings Act, would empower municipal courts to designate a “receiver” to oversee the demolition of a property in violation of local ordinances. “That act potentially has a significant ability to help cities,” said Sumter Mayor Joe McElveen, who serves this year as president of the Municipal Association, one of the bill’s main backers. The bill would give municipalities more power to deal with landowners who refuse to take proper care of a building and instead hand responsibility over to a court-appointed receiver. The bill, which covers commercial or multi-family properties, could complement Sumter Pride, which demolishes residential property. The program allows homeowners who can’t afford the cost of demolishing an old house to get the city to remove the home for a nominal $400 fee, or no charge at all if the applicant meets certain low-income qualifications. The city partly receives funding from its community development block grant. “When it started, they already had 200 (eligible) homes identified,” said Fleury, the city’s special projects manager. “We did 45 that first year.” Sumter Pride has done a steady stream of work since then, with three homes currently under demolition and

BRISTOW MARCHANT / THE SUMTER ITEM

Col. Clay Hall, right, sits with Sumter Mayor Joe McElveen during the annual Commander’s Breakfast at Shaw Air Force Base on Thursday. sport, if you don’t practice, are you going to be any good?” After previous cuts to the defense budget, the Air Force had hoped to be back to full funding and manpower by 2018. With sequestration cuts that kicked in last year, that goal was put off to 2022. But even with the chal-

BOYD FROM PAGE A1 (May 2),” he said. “It is thought they were arguing about money.” Boyd admitted to some involvement in the incident, according to Dellinger, but has not confessed to actually committing the crime. Boyd’s residence is also close to the crime scene, he added. Slater had suffered a single gunshot wound to his thigh and bled to death from the injury, according to Dellinger. He said there was a delay in responding

another half-dozen awaiting funding. Last year, the Municipal Association recognized the program as one of the most successful of its kind in the state. “Four hundred dollars is a deal,” McElveen said. “It’s a deal for the area too, because an abandoned house can attract vermin and criminal activity and lower the value of other property around it.” But despite the support of the Municipal Association, the Dilapidated Buildings Act seems unlikely to pass this year because of concerns about its impact on property rights. Sen. Tom Corbin, RGreenville, placed an objection on the bill at the end of April, which will likely stop it from coming up for a vote before the end of the legislative session. Supporters hoped the bill clarified that receivership could only be used by the city once other legal avenues had been exhausted. “It protects the property owner because they have to receive nine or 10 notices first that they can intervene,” said Scott Slatton, legislative advocate for the Municipal Association. “That was a big concern, but the bill presumes this will be a last resort in extraordinary circumstances.” Officials in Sumter hope to see the bill eventually come to fruition, arguing it would contribute to improving neighborhoods. “Communities are being confronted by blightedness, slums and areas that need to be torn down,” said Sumter

THE SUMTER ITEM

lenges it faces in other areas, Hall stressed the Air Force’s commitment to Shaw. Plans are in motion to renovate several buildings on base, workers are expanding the Patrol Road along the perimeter, and a new medical clinic is under construction. The base’s relationship with the surrounding

to the murder scene on Monday because the 911 caller couldn’t give them an address. “We had to use GPS and Advanced 911 technology to trace where the call came from,” Dellinger said. “When (officers) arrived, Slater appeared to be deceased. It was later confirmed by EMS and officially announced by (Lee County Coroner) Larry Logan.” Dellinger said Boyd was taken to Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center without incident Wednesday night under a “hold ticket.”

City Councilwoman Ione Dwyer. “To hold something like this up speaks very little of the person holding it up. I don’t know where he lives, but he should see where some other people live.” Dwyer said Sumter Pride

community, and its ongoing support of the Air Force, is a big contributor to its stability. “The value of your support cannot be overestimated,” Hall said. “Everyone here is very friendly, hospitable and patriotic. When you go off base, it’s just a nice community to live in.”

Boyd was officially charged Thursday morning and is awaiting bond hearing. “We still have procedures to follow before his bond hearing,” Dellinger said. “We have to notify the victim’s family of the arrest.” Dellinger said Slater had several family members that live near the incident location, as well as other family in the Lynchburg area. He said the investigation is still in its early stages. “It’s still ongoing,” he said. “There may be more arrests coming on this one.”

has done a great deal to beautify some areas in the community, and removed homes that can attract trouble, like the abandoned home in which a homeless man froze to death last winter. “I had one constituent in

my area, an elderly lady, whose property was all grown up. It was so bad, I didn’t know there was a house back there,” Dwyer said. “Actions speak louder than words, and right now this law is the action we need to take.”

Visit us at Shoneys.com & facebook.com/shoneys