MARION COUNTY, S.C. — State agents say a Marion County man forged a magistrate's signature in an effort to avoid losing his job.
Investigators with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) have arrested Lawerence Chadwick Owens, 42.
He's charged with Impersonating/Act without authority as Justice, Judge, Clerk of Court, or other official. He is also charged with Forgery.
An arrest warrant states that in December of 2019, he provided a document that said a previous criminal charge had been dismissed. The document, agents say, had a forged signature of a local magistrate on it. The signature was made by Owens, deputies say
The warrant goes on to say that he forged the document to avoid being fired from his job.
The request for the SLED investigation was made by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Owens was booked at the Dillion County Detention Center.
The case will be prosecuted by the Fourth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
