Executive Summary
- Former South Carolina State Rep. Marvin Pendarvis has been indicted on 10 federal charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.
- The indictment alleges Pendarvis defrauded his personal injury clients of at least $532,000 by misrepresenting settlements and forging signatures.
- The alleged crimes occurred between January 2022 and April 2024, while Pendarvis was a sitting state legislator.
- Pendarvis, who resigned in September 2024, has had his law license suspended and is scheduled for an arraignment on November 18.
A former South Carolina state lawmaker has been indicted on 10 federal charges, including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, for allegedly defrauding his personal injury clients of more than half a million dollars. The alleged misconduct occurred while he was a serving member of the state’s House of Representatives.
Former State Rep. Marvin Pendarvis was indicted Wednesday on four counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of money laundering, and one count of fraud connected to illegal activities. According to the indictment, the alleged offenses took place between January 2022 and April 2024.
Prosecutors allege Pendarvis, working as a personal injury attorney, negotiated settlements for clients but then either concealed that a settlement was reached or misrepresented the amount. He is accused of forging clients’ signatures on insurance company checks and filing settlement documents with the Charleston clerk of court without their consent.
The indictment states that Pendarvis deposited at least $532,000 in settlement funds into his law firm’s bank account without distributing the money to his clients. He is also accused of illegally using the identities of six different clients while withholding their funds and wiring $75,000 on two occasions in an attempt to conceal the transactions.
Pendarvis, a Democrat first elected in 2017 to represent District 113, resigned from the South Carolina House in September 2024. His resignation followed a state investigation, a lawsuit alleging forgery, and the suspension of his law license by the South Carolina Supreme Court.
Legal Proceedings
Court records indicate that Pendarvis is scheduled for an arraignment hearing on November 18 in Charleston. It is important to note that an indictment contains allegations, and all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.