Sheriff denies letting inmates handle guns during raid at Pageland home

PAGELAND, S.C. — The sheriff of Chesterfield County is under fire Wednesday after he allowed inmates to help out during that massive gun bust in Pageland last month.

Six prison camp inmates helped officers during the raid at the home of Brent Nicholson in Pageland on the last weekend in October.

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Roughly 3,800 guns were seized from Nicholson's home. Deputies believe he would purchase the guns, many of them stolen, and then hoard them.

The weapons, mostly rifles, were found stacked in every room of the home, and in a large storage building on the property.

On Wednesday, Channel 9 learned that Sharon Nicholson, Brent Nicholson's wife, was charged with possession of stolen goods in the case. She is out of jail on bond, while her husband was denied bond.

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Sheriff Jay Brooks said he needed the help trying to collect thousands of stolen items from all over the property. It was going to take days, and some officers had already worked 48 hours straight.

"We only have 65 people who work for this department. We had to have help," Brooks said.

So those inmates were brought from the detention center to the work site.

However, Detention Center Administrator Sheila Gillespie wrote a letter to the Attorney General accusing the sheriff of using inmates on private property, and letting them handle the guns.

PDF: Letter on inappropriate use of inmate labor

The AG is reviewing that letter, but has not launched an investigation.

Brooks denied the accusations and told Channel 9 when a search warrant is executed it's no longer private property.

"The inmates did not handle any guns. We did not bring them in there until all the guns, we felt, were gone," he said.

Brooks said inmates were used to carry barbed wire, ammo, cattle gates, hunting supplies and other material found on the property.

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Brooks said nearly 30 South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agents were on scene that weekend closely supervising the inmates, who were also searched before they went back to the prison farm.

Brooks also said he self-reported what he was doing with the inmates to SLED, the Attorney General, and others so there would be no question.

"I called everybody I could think of and told them. I called my mother and told her what we were doing," Brooks said.

Still, some residents who were aware of the gun bust had concerns about using inmate labor in such a way.

"Guns are dangerous,” James Jordan said. “There’s always a chance somebody could cart one of them off without anybody knowing about it."

Julia Freeman said it was no safety concern to her.

"I’m sure they had plenty of law enforcement around watching, so I feel like it would probably be safe enough," she said.

Efforts to reach Gillespie at the county detention center Wednesday were not successful.

Brooks said he doesn't know why she wrote the letter to the Attorney General, however, he is making a change as a result of the controversy over inmate labor.

"We will change our policy, and they can assure you I will never ask them for help again," he said.

Former Sheriff Sam Parker was sent to prison for the illegal privileges he gave two inmates, including allowing them access to guns, sheriff's vehicles and alcohol.

The letter from Gillespie to the AG mentions that case, and the fact that no one spoke out about it during the years it was going on.

As for the property taken from Nicholson's property last month, some of it has been returned to its rightful owners. The rest is still in storage at the Sheriff's Department.

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