Chester SC county top official indicted for drug trafficking, misconduct
Kenneth Shane Stuart, Chester County’s supervisor and top elected official, has been arrested after being indicted on charges of drug trafficking and misconduct in office, according to law enforcement officials and court records.
Stuart, known as Shane, is the chairman of the Chester County Council and also serves as county supervisor, administering Chester County government offices.
Stuart was booked into the Richland County jail on South Carolina state grand jury charges of drug trafficking, misconduct in office, conspiracy, and two counts of manufacture of methamphetamine, according to jail booking records from the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia.
He remains in the jail, records show. Stuart, 47, has served as the elected Chester County Supervisor since March of 2015. He was re-elected to another four year term in November of 2018.
The drug charges
Stuart was involved in manufacturing and dealing meth, according to indictments in the case obtained by The Herald. He also used his county vehicle during the drug activity, leading to the pubic corruption charge of misconduct in office, according to the indictments.
Stuart conspired to steal catalytic converters from county-owned vehicles, the indictments stated.
Stuart is accused of a conspiracy to traffic more than 400 grams of meth, the indictments state. A conviction for that amount of meth carries a mandatory 25 years in prison, South Carolina law shows.
In all five charges, Stuart faces a potential of 65 years in prison if convicted.
Two other people, Ace Donovon Hembree, 32, and Brittany Jane Oneppo, 40, were charged with trafficking meth along with Stuart, according to a statement from S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Stuart was indicted for drug crimes in both Chester County and York County, the indictments state.
The investigation into Stuart included an array of law enforcement agencies that included the State Law Enforcement Division, Chester County Sheriff’s Office, the York County Sheriff’s Office, the Sixth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, and the Sixteenth Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit.
A statement from the Chester County Sheriff’s Office says that it has been assisting SLED in the investigation. Chester County Sheriff Max Dorsey said he wants to emphasize that the investigation is ongoing and will be handled by the South Carolina Attorney General’s office.
A spokesperson for Governor Henry McMaster’s office said the governor is expected to suspend Stuart by executive order. McMaster also will appoint an interim Supervisor by the end of the day Thursday.
Chester County officials react
Chester County Council held an emergency meeting in executive session Thursday morning for “legal advice for county administration procedures,” according to a release from county officials.
Following the executive session, the council addressed members of the public gathered in the county chambers. The meeting also was streamed on Facebook live.
County Attorney Joanie Winters asked that the council amend the county’s procurement policy so operations could continue without a county supervisor.
Normally, the supervisor has to sign off on all procurements. Winters asked that the council amend the policy to grant County Treasurer Tommy Darby the authority to approve or deny procurements. The council approved the resolution.
Sheriff Max Dorsey, who was included in the executive session, gave a statement.
“There’s a lot that’s happened within the past 48 hours, there are things that we cannot talk about,” he said. “There will be things you will not know. There will be a lot of questions that we will not be able to answer.”
He emphasized that he is “statutorily prohibited” from providing more information
“Chester has experienced a lot of pain recently, and this is another painful moment. I have confidence that we’ll all continue to get through this,” Dorsey said.
The council then released their shared statement, presented by Councilman Joe Branham.
“It is important to recognize that the allegations made are about an individual, and not about Chester County,” he said.
“The county council remains a resilient, governing body. While we may disagree from time to time, we stand together strong to always govern in the best interest of Chester county and its citizens. Our message today is to the people who reside in Chester County, to continue to believe in our county, and to stand with us.”
Winters then addressed the council, saying “It would be very improper to respond to media requests.” She cited the ongoing criminal investigation and warned council members of making comments that could get them “tangled up in the investigation.”
Councilman Brad Jordan called the arrest “unfortunate,” but declined further comment because of the ongoing investigation.
Councilman Alex Oliphant also declined to comment.
Stuart is a former Chester County Sheriff’s Office deputy. He was first elected in 2015.
Chester is one of a few South Carolina counties with an elected supervisor. Chester County does not have a county manager.
The supervisor in Chester County runs county council and is responsible for carrying out the policies and ordinances of the county council, for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the county, and for appointing all non-elected county department heads, according to the county website. The county supervisor prepares the county budget and other tasks.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 11:05 AM with the headline "Chester SC county top official indicted for drug trafficking, misconduct."
