Solicitor Trey Gowdy’s effort to crack down on fraudulent checks is paying big dividends for local merchants and Cherokee County government. The program recouped more than $72,000 in restitution and fees for local victims and nearly $60,000 in fees for local government.

"We are off to a great start," Gowdy said. "I’m confident the numbers will improve as more people learn about this hassle-free approach to recouping their losses.

"Cherokee County also wins because it has a new revenue stream and it can reallocate resources that were once spent on the apprehension of bad check writers," Gowdy added. Cherokee County merchants who participate in the free program complete a one-page information form and submit it to the Worthless Check Office in the lobby of the Cherokee County Law Enforcement Center on East Frederick Street. The check must be submitted with the worksheet.

The Solicitor’s Office tracks down the offender in an effort to collect payment for the fraudulent check. Victims receive the full amount of the check and the $30 service charge levied by banks. The offender also pays $41 in court costs and an additional fee ranging from $50 to $150 depending on the amount of the check with both of these sums of money going to Cherokee County. If the offender fails to pay, the case is referred to court for criminal prosecution. Before the new program started, a majority of the bad check cases in Cherokee County were heard in Magistrate Court where the recipient was responsible for handling all aspects of the prosecution. Many merchants did not believe the process was worth the time investment and would not even make an effort to collect on fraudulent checks. Now, the effort is being made for them by the Solicitor’s Office.

On a busy week, Cherokee County Worthless Check Director Marlana Dover will send as many as 200 letters to local bad check writers. Most people comply with the request for payment. Satisfied customers of the program include Excel Financial Service General Manager Terry Satterwhite and Cherokee County Treasurer Edith Gardner.

Gardner said she likes the program because it allowed her to turn over a time-consuming duty. Prior to the inception of the Solicitor’s Program, Gardner tracked down bad check writers herself and tried to get them to pay their taxes. "It was a hassle but things seem to be running more smoothly now," she said.

The first-year success of the worthless check program is one of many accomplishments for the Solicitor’s Office in 2005.

Prosecutors resolved more than 900 criminal cases. Cherokee County accounted for 421 admissions to the South Carolina Department of Corrections for the calendar year ending June 30, 2005. The statistic marked the fourth consecutive year the state prison system received more than 400 entries from Cherokee.

The notable cases included:
*Eric Blackwell, 25, of Gaffney who received a life prison sentence in December for stabbing Chris Riddle to death. Blackwell admitted to stabbing the victim four times but the autopsy revealed 167 stab wounds. Blackwell's former girlfriend, Jessica Blanton, 23, received a 13-year prison sentence in October when she pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact of murder. She admitted to helping dump the body in a wooded area. Blackwell's mother Teresa Humphries, 41, of Gaffney, is serving a 4-year prison after pleading guilty to being an accessory. She admitted to cleaning up the apartment where the murder occurred.
*Lorenzo Holmes, 27, of Gaffney, received a 15-year prison sentence in June when he admitted to stabbing his child’s mother. Holmes pleaded guilty to assault and battery with intent to kill.
*Earl Spencer, 60, of Gaffney, received a 60-year prison in May after he was found guilty of three counts of criminal sexual conduct with a minor for crimes against a 10-year-old girl. Spencer was a friend of the victim's parents when the crimes occurred.
*Jimmy Lee Littlejohn of Gaffney received a 25-year prison sentence in May for breaking into his estranged wife's home and setting it on fire. Littlejohn, 39, was found guilty of first-degree burglary and second-degree arson at the conclusion of a jury trial.
*Jeffrey Degree, 37, of North Carolina, received a 25-year prison sentence in April when he admitted to raping a woman in her Blacksburg apartment. Degree interrupted the start of his trial to plead guilty to first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
*Jose Luis Gordillo-Lopez, a 23-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico, received a 25-year prison sentence in February after he admitted to driving drunk while fleeing from the Highway Patrol when he caused the wreck that claimed the life of 44-year-old Debbie McDaniel of Gaffney. McDaniel was riding in a car that was rear-ended by Gordillo-Lopez' vehicle.

The upcoming year is sure to be another busy year for the Solicitor’s Office. About 700 cases are currently pending on the criminal docket.

Second-degree lynching charges on five Spartanburg County defendants highlight the Jan. 9 term of court. Solicitor Gowdy and Assistant Solicitor Abel Gray are prosecuting the case together. The defendants are accused of assaulting 16-year-old Isaiah Clyburn while he walked on the shoulder of Ellis Ferry Road in the Grassy Pond community.

Solicitor Gowdy is also working on the State v. Darnell Benson, a murder case he plans to try in early 2006.

Gowdy praised the work of Cherokee County law enforcement officers, Gaffney City Police Officers, Blacksburg Police Officers, the Highway Patrol and all other law enforcement related agencies for a productive 2005. Gowdy also thanked Clerk of Court Brandy McBee and her excellent office for the wonderful job they do in and out of court as well as the magistrate court system and other aspect of the justice system.

"2005 was busy, 2006 will be busy but it will be productive and I am excited about it," Gowdy said.