Federal white-collar crimes have the potential to carry stiff penalties. These crimes include mail fraud and wire fraud as well as conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The recent case of the former CEO and board chairman of SCANA Corporation in South Carolina illustrates the gravity of these types of criminal offenses.
Charges against SCANA Corporation CEO and Chairman
Kevin B. Marsh, the CEO and Board Chairman of SCANA Corporation, is among a number of senior leaders of that company charged with federal white-collar crimes. Marsh specifically was indicted for charges that included conspiracy to commit mail fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Marsh ended up entering a guilty plea to conspiracy charges. He faces the prospect of five years incarceration, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following the term of probation.
Specifics of federal case against SCANA Corporation CEO and Chairman
The federal charges lodged against the SCANA CEO and Chairman stem from what ultimately was a failed “mega-project” involving the proposed construction of two nuclear power units in South Carolina. Due to a variety of mishaps, the project ended up significantly off course.
Rather than concede the myriad of issues with the project, SCANA leadership used the mails and wire technology to provide fraudulent information not consumers. In addition, SCANA leadership withheld vital information from other entities involved in the project, including Westinghouse and Toshiba. Finally, the company’s leaders used wire communications to provide false information to regulatory authorities.
Defending against white-collar crimes is a challenging endeavor. Retaining experienced legal counsel is the desired course to ensure the most solid protection of a defendant’s legal rights in these types of cases.