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Lawsuit: Dead sheriff stole money from Midlands county

ORANGEBURG, SC (WIS) -

More than a year and a half after his death, Orangeburg County is going after former Sheriff Larry Williams' estate.

Williams died in September 2010, then 3 months later, the county administrator started looking into the sheriff department's finances. The county says it uncovered fraud and a conspiracy case involving the late sheriff and his girlfriend.

It was a lot of money, according to the lawsuit, and the county says Williams and his girlfriend used the money for personal gain.

Williams' $250,000 home could soon end up in the hands of Orangeburg County if the county can convince a jury the former sheriff stole tax dollars, then spent it.

The county filed suit 2 weeks ago, claiming the late sheriff opened multiple bank accounts, then funneled state and federal tax dollars through them.

Roger Heaton retired from the State Law Enforcement Division 8 months ago and is now running for sheriff. He opened the investigation into the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office's checking accounts last year.

Heaton got a call from county administrator Bill Clark about the bank accounts after Clark had the sheriff's finances audited. Heaton met with Clark and current Sheriff Leroy Ravenell a few days later.

"I got a call on a Thursday and I remember I reviewed the material through the weekend. Based on the material I saw, the conversations I had, and some of the information in the notebook that the sheriff provided, in my opinion, there was a need for a criminal investigation," Heaton said. "I saw criminal acts."

The lawsuit claims Williams had his girlfriend, Ivadella Walters, open the accounts while she worked for the South Carolina Federal Credit Union. The pair, the suit alleges, spent the money on themselves, even spending $72,000 on an RV. Court records show they, at first, titled the RV in their names, but later changed it over to show it belonged to the county.

Read more about the alleged charge against the late Larry Williams here.