SLED Confirms Investigation into SC State Rep. Marvin Pendarvis
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has affirmed that they are conducting an investigation into State Rep. Marvin Pendarvis. The First Circuit Solicitor’s Office requested the investigation, but the details of the case are not yet available to the public, according to SLED spokesperson Renee Wunderlich.
Lawsuit Alleges Pendarvis Involved in Forgery and Unauthorized Agreement
This confirmation follows a lawsuit filed against Pendarvis and his law firm, Pendarvis Law, LLC. The lawsuit alleges that Pendarvis witnessed the forgery of a client’s signature on settlement paperwork and agreed to the settlement on behalf of the client without the client’s knowledge.
The complaint was filed by Adrian Lewis, who had retained Pendarvis’s services after being accused of kidnapping his daughter in 2021 by the child’s mother. Lewis’s attorneys, Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter, argue that Pendarvis inflated the potential compensation in the legal case, breaching the South Carolina Tort Claims Act.
Court Documents Reveal Unsettling Allegations
The complaint alleges that without Lewis’s consent, Pendarvis settled the case with the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office for $10,000. Pendarvis had previously suggested to Lewis that his case was worth a figure of up to $325,000. Court documents state that Lewis’s signature was fraudulently applied to the settlement agreement.
Bland and Richter claim that Lewis received two checks totalling $6667, which represents the settlement amount minus a 33% fee taken by Pendarvis’s law firm. Text messages exchanged between Pendarvis and Lewis suggest that the latter was unaware of the settlement until he personally received the related documents.
Pendarvis’s Alleged Attempt to Avoid Legal Suit
In court filings, Lewis’s lawyers report that Pendarvis visited Lewis’s home in early April 2024 and offered him $50,000 in cash and an additional $25,000 to prevent a lawsuit from being filed. Pendarvis is also reported to have offered to pay Lewis’s mortgage. This offer was declined by Lewis.
Later, Pendarvis allegedly presented Lewis with a post-dated check for $15,000. Documents filed with the lawsuit include the series of text messages between Lewis and Pendarvis that support these allegations.
Accusations Could Breach Professional Conduct Rules
“The type of conduct here that is dangerous is harnessing and invading your escrow account to pacify a client,” explained Bland. He stressed that clients should be provided accurate information to make informed decisions regarding their legal cases. Lewis’s complaint seeks damages for financial losses, emotional distress, and punitive damages.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s investigation into Pendarvis comes in light of these serious allegations. Further information will be released as the investigation progresses.
