WILLIAM B. ALEXANDER

Greenwood, S.C.; December 12, 2019 – A Troy man was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to the 2018 robbery of the Wells Fargo Bank in Uptown Greenwood, 8th Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo announced.

William Bryan Alexander, 50, of Troy, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of entering a bank with intent to steal, first-degree assault and battery, and failure to stop for blue light. Circuit Judge Letitia Verdin then sentenced Alexander to 18 years in prison on the bank robbery charge, 10 years in prison on the assault charge, and three years in prison on the failure to stop charge. The sentences for assault and battery, as well as the failure to stop for a blue light, are the maximum allowed under state law. The bank robbery charge is considered a serious offense and Alexander must serve a minimum of 85 percent of the sentence before he can be considered for release.

At about 9:45 a.m. on November 15, 2018, Alexander walked into the Wells Fargo branch located at 105 Main Street in Uptown Greenwood and passed a note to the teller saying there was a bomb inside the bank and that he had the detonator. The teller handed over more than $6,000 before Alexander fled the bank.

Police were immediately dispatched and spotted Alexander in a black Toyota Highlander fleeing the scene. Alexander led police on a chase down Cambridge Avenue and onto Old Ninety Six Highway where Alexander intentionally rammed a police vehicle multiple times, once directly in the driver’s side door. Alexander was eventually located and arrested at a residence on Reedy Creek Road.

Deputy Solicitor Yates Brown handled the case for the State, with assistance from 8th Circuit Investigator Windy Chappell. Alexander was represented by Walt Whitmire of the Greenwood Public Defender’s Office.

Solicitor Stumbo praised the work of his staff, along with the quick and effective response of the Greenwood Police Department and the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, in securing the conviction and lengthy prison sentence.

 “William Alexander took a beautiful Fall morning in Uptown Greenwood and turned it into one of chaos and fear.  We are blessed that this incident did not end with anyone involved being seriously hurt or killed,” Solicitor Stumbo said following the plea proceeding. “My office will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with law enforcement to do everything in our power to keep our community safe.”

Joshua Eric Parham, right, stands with his attorney Charles Grose during a plea proceeding at the Greenwood County Courthouse.

Greenwood, S.C.; October 23, 2019 — Eighth Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo announced Wednesday that a Greenwood man will spend more than two decades in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 13.

Joshua Eric Parham, 37, pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon at the Greenwood County Courthouse to two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor. Circuit Judge Donald Hocker sentenced Parham to 15 years in prison on one count and seven years in prison on the second count, with the sentences to run consecutively. The crimes are considered violent under state law, making Parham ineligible for parole or early release.  Parham decided to change his plea to guilty as the case was scheduled to be called for trial by 8th Circuit prosecutors next week.

Parham was initially arrested in 2016 when the victim reported that Parham had sexually abused her on multiple occasions in different locations over a period of three years.  Parham was scheduled to appear in court in March of this year but failed to appear on the day his trial was scheduled to begin.  It was later determined that Parham cut off his ankle monitor, which he was required to wear as a condition of bond, and fled to Alabama.  In April, Alabama law enforcement officers apprehended Parham and held him in custody until he could be extradited back to South Carolina to await his new trial date this month.

Assistant Solicitor Anna Sumner and Deputy Solicitor Yates Brown handled the case for the state, with assistance from 8th Circuit Investigator Windy Chappell. Parham was represented by Charles Grose of the Greenwood County Bar.

Solicitor Stumbo praised the teamwork of his staff and the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office in securing the conviction and lengthy prison sentence.

“I am extremely proud of the relentless work put in by my staff and our law enforcement partners to make sure this child abuser is removed from our community and in prison for many years to come, while also not subjecting this young victim to taking the stand at trial,” Solicitor Stumbo said following the sentencing. “We will continue to prioritize and fight for victims of predators like Joshua Parham.”

LARRY D. ELMORE

Greenwood, S.C.; October 22, 2019 — A career drug dealer has been sentenced to a long-term stay behind bars after pleading guilty Monday, 8th Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo announced Tuesday.

Larry Donnell Elmore, 58, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin on Monday afternoon at the Greenwood County Courthouse. Circuit Judge Donald Hocker then sentenced Elmore to 25 years in prison. Elmore has a lengthy criminal history, including multiple prior convictions for trafficking narcotics.

In November 2018, agents with the Greenwood Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU)performed a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Elmore. Elmore attempted to evade police before he fled on foot. Agents caught Elmore after a brief foot chase and located a large sum of cash in addition to identification bearing Elmore’s name. A search of the vehicle yielded more than 100 pills that later tested positive for heroin.

Assistant Solicitor Billy Tunstall handled the case for the State, with the assistance of 8th Circuit Investigators Blake Moore and Michael Cox, who helped prepare the case for trial during the current term of court.

Solicitor Stumbo praised the work of his staff alongside the Greenwood DEU, a partnership between the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office and the Greenwood Police Department, in securing the conviction and lengthy prison sentence.

“Larry Elmore has proven time and again that he is willing to push poison on the streets of our community for profit,” Solicitor Stumbo said. “At a time when our State is suffering from the weight of the opioid epidemic, we are glad to see another career drug dealer removed from our streets for many years to come.

RUSSELL WILLIAM GEDDINGS

Greenwood, S.C.; October 2, 2019 — A Greenwood arsonist on Tuesday received the maximum sentence allowed under the law after he elected to change his plea to guilty on the day his trial was scheduled to start, 8th Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo announced. Continue reading →