Lawyer Accused of Smuggling Contraband Into Jail to Influence Witness Against His Own Son
A lawyer admitted in Georgia and South Carolina is facing the loss of law practice privileges in both states after pleading guilty to 11 misdemeanors in a case concerning contraband smuggled into the Richmond County Jail.
Sidney “Chuck” Jones, 59, who practiced in Aiken, S.C., was accused by authorities of offering to represent an inmate there for free and providing him with contraband tobacco in exchange for the inmate’s changing his story about whether Jones’ son was responsible for some local armed robberies, according to sheriff’s investigators and court documents.
Eventually, authorities allege, Jones had the inmate sign three affidavits that were false concerning the attorney’s son, the Augusta Chronicle reports.
The situation came to light when the inmate was caught with contraband tobacco and fingered the attorney. Jones, who was subsequently the subject of a jailhouse sting, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and 10 counts of crossing guard lines with contraband. He was sentenced to 11 years of probation.
Meanwhile, his son was convicted Wednesday of armed robbery, burglary and possession of a weapon in a South Carolina home invasion apparently unrelated to the inmate’s information.
An earlier WJBF story provides additional details about the initial case against Jones.
Jones will not be able to practice law for the foreseeable future in either Georgia or South Carolina, the article notes.
