Columbia, SC (WLTX) - The suspended chief prosecutor of Columbia is facing three dozen new charges related to the public corruption investigation involving he and his office.
The U.S. Attorneys office announced Wednesday that Fifth Circuit Solicitor Dan Johnson, 47, was charged in a 36-count indictment. The charges include ones for wire fraud, mail fraud, theft of federal funds, false statements, conversion of federal funds, and obstruction of justice.
A full copy of the indictment was not immediately available, so there's no details on what led prosecutors to file the charges.
Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud, mail fraud, and obstruction of justice charges; a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on the theft of federal funds, and conversion of federal funds charges; and a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for the false statements charge.
The new charges are on top of the ones filed by federal prosecutors in September, when they announced against Fifth Circuit Solicitor Dan Johnson including wire fraud, mail fraud and theft of government funds. The indictment claims he took public money to, as they put it, "finance a private lifestyle."
Previous Coverage: Dan Johnson facing federal accusations of embezzlement of public funds
Prosecutors say the money was taken using credit cards issued to the office, and the misuse of money distributed to the office for business purposes. He's also facing similar charges in state court.
Johnson's director of communications, Nicole Holland, was also accused of helping in the alleged scheme, but she's entered into a plea agreement to the federal charges against her. As part of the deal, she agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and tell them what she knew of the operation.
Previous Coverage: Nicole Holland pleads guilty to charges against her
The Fifth Circuit Solicitor's office is the chief prosecuting agency for Richland and Kershaw Counties. Johnson had been the solicitor since 2011. But earlier this year, his spending practices while in office were called into question in published reports, and Johnson denied all allegations against him.
He was seeking re-election but in June, he was defeated in the Democratic primary by attorney Byron Gipson. (Gipson eventually won the general election in November). After a grand jury indicted Johnson in September, Gov. Henry McMaster suspended him from office.
Johnson has also had his law license suspended.