Attorney General Alan Wilson announces State Grand Jury indictments against former officials at the South Carolina Department of Transportation

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today the return of a seven-count indictment by the South Carolina State Grand Jury regarding allegations of public corruption by James Murray Cooper and Curtis Sims Jr. Both were previously employed at the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT).

The State Grand Jury issued indictments against James Murray Cooper for the following offenses:

            2025-GS-47-37 (Richland County)

Count 1: Use of Official Position or Office for Financial Gain Ethics Violation. §8-17-700: 0-1 years

Count 2: Acceptance of Rebates or Extra Compensation, §16-9-230: 3 mos – 5 years and $100 - $500 fine

The State Grand Jury issued indictments against Curtis Sims Jr. for the following offenses:

            2026-GS-47-01 (Richland County)

Count 1: Use of Official Position or Office for Financial Gain Ethics Violation, §8-17-700: 0-1 years

Count 2-4: Acceptance of Rebates or Extra Compensation, §16-9-230: 3 mos – 5 years and $100 - $500 fine (x) three

Count 5: Receiving Anything of Value to Influence Action of Public Official Ethics Violation, §8-17-705: 0 – 10 years and/or $0 - $10,000 fine.

The two indictments generally allege that James Murray Cooper, while employed as a Technical Advisor and Compliance Manager in the Minority Small Business Affairs Office (MSBA) at the SCDOT, unlawfully received thousands of dollars each from a private contractor that was awarded millions of dollars of contract work from SCDOT, paid from public funds. In a separate incident, Curtis Sims, Jr., who was employed as Training Safety and Security Program Manager in the Office of Public Transport (OPT) division of SCDOT, is similarly alleged to have received thousands of dollars from a different private contractor that was also awarded over a million dollars of public money.   

“Today’s indictments send a message that all South Carolina businesses will compete for state contracts on equal grounds,” Attorney General Alan Wilson said. “My office, SLED, the State Grand Jury, and the leadership at SCDOT have worked together to weed out corruption from state officials entrusted with the obligation to ensure state funds are distributed to private contractors in a fair, transparent, and equal manner. As always, this office will continue to target the misuse of state funds and unlawful preferential treatment that harms honest South Carolina business owners and employees who play by the rules,” he added.

The case is being investigated by the South Carolina State Grand Jury, which functions in partnership with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the USDOT OIG, and the South Carolina Attorney General’s State Grand Jury Section. The cases will be prosecuted by the chief attorney of the State Grand Jury Section, Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General S. Creighton Waters, and Assistant Attorney General Walt Whitmire. The Attorney General thanked South Carolina Secretary of Transportation Justin P. Powell and his agency for its assistance and cooperation in the investigation. 

Attorney General Wilson stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.