On Sept. 17, a 42-year-old man turned himself into South Carolina police amid allegations that he was running a mock recovery center and distributing drugs to his supposed clients. Police issued more than 10 charges against the man, alleging that he was illegally operating recovery centers in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Investigators charged the man with falsely claiming to be a counselor, unlawfully practicing a regulated occupation or profession without a license and multiple drug offenses.
Local reports claim that 20 alleged victims plan on taking civil action against the man. Police records indicate that the scheme started on March 18. Officials claim that investigators had been pursuing the case for several months when the man surrendered to the Department of Public Safety in North Myrtle Beach. Police began investigating in August after the man’s landlord filed a complaint alleging that he had denied her access to the property several times.
She claimed that upon hearing rumors, she discovered that he was selling her items through auctions and more than $5,000 worth of furniture was missing from the premises. She also alleges that he lied about his qualifications on the lease and never paid her rent. One of the victims claims that she paid more $5,800 for a 90-day program that had none of the services advertised. Another victim enrolled from March 31 to Aug. 6 allegedly paid more than $7,000.
People facing drug charges or other serious allegations often benefit from contacting a defense lawyer as quickly as possible. Legal counsel could examine the details of the incident and construct a viable defense in an effort to obtain an acquittal or reduced charges. Defendants may also receive more lenient sentencing or reduced charges if lawyers can negotiate a plea agreement with the prosecution.
Source: KFVS, “Man accused of illegally operating drug rehab centers in 3 states“, Brooke Holden, September 19, 2014
