Ex-Trustee Convicted Of Corruption

Jonathan Pinson, the former chairman of South Carolina State University’s board of trustees accused of federal corruption charges including steering a concert contract to a business associate, was convicted July 3 on 29 counts.

Co-defendant Eric Robinson, a partner in W.E. Entertainment, was found not guilty on all seven charges against him.

Pinson will be sentenced at a later date.

Prosecutors said Pinson used his influence to make money off a homecoming concert at SCSU and tried to get the college to buy land from a Florida developer, skimmed federal money going to a low-income housing project in Columbia and a diaper factory in Marion County, then filed false paperwork to get more money from the government.

Jurors found Pinson not guilty of 16 counts, but Assistant U.S. Attorney J.D. Rowell pointed out that they found him guilty of at least one count in each of the schemes and of the racketeering charge that covered all of his conduct.

Rowell said it is too early to say what kind of sentence prosecutors will ask for in a hearing in about three months.

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