2 former Wagener fire chiefs arrested by SLED: How we got here
WAGENER, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - Amid ongoing turmoil at the long-troubled Wagener Fire Department, two former officials of the agency have been arrested by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
David Watson and Joseph Redd were arrested early Tuesday and booked into Aiken County jail, according to jail records.
Redd is charged with misconduct in office, malfeasance or nonfeasance, as well as breach of trust with fraudulent intent, value more than $2,000 but less than $10,000.
Watson is charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent, value $10,000 or more.
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No bond was listed for either, and they were no longer listed as inmates at the jail by 10:55 a.m. Tuesday.
Redd is accused of using a town bank account to write checks to himself and family members. Labeled as loans, they totaled about $6,200, according to an arrest warrant.
The arrest warrant said he also wrote checks to himself totaling about $750 and tried to conceal the true nature of the expenses.
The arrest warrant also says he admitted using town funds to buy gun components unrelated to town duties totaling about $420.
An arrest warrant for Watson accuses him between June 30 2022, and Oct. 4, 2023, of fraudently claiming overtime while working as a maintenance supervisor for the town.
The money for the overtime totaled more than $42,000, averaging about 26 hours a week, according to the warrant.
READ THE ARREST WARRANTS:
It’s all disappointing to David Wright, who lives in Wagener.
“I thought people in that position was supposed to, you know, keep a good legal standings to where, you know, they’re honorable people and all, and that, you know, there shouldn’t be something like that going on,” he said.
Watson resigned as fire chief in October 2023 after a police investigation raised questions about the overtime.
Redd was fired as fire chief in 2020 after more than 40 years of service and more than 20 as chief.
The firing led to a mass resignation of volunteers and a rift among some members of the small community.
The mass resignation wouldn’t be the last for the department.
Since 2020, there has been constant turnover of chiefs, with changes in administration leading to mass exits.
HOW WE GOT HERE
Wagener Fire Department: Years of turmoil
- ‘Fight worth fighting’: What’s the fate of Wagener Fire Department
- Troubled Wagener Fire Department’s fate lingers in limbo
- Aiken County Council yet to make decision on Wagener Fire Department
- Wagener Fire Department looks at next steps toward
- Wagener council votes to split town from fire department
- SLED expands investigation of former Wagener fire chief
- What’s the situation at Wagener Fire Department?
- Wagener Fire Department to rebuild under new direction
- Nonprofit firefighters want to take over Wagener Fire Department
In 2024, Tillman Rushton stepped down, as did 19 of the 25 volunteer firefighters, citing finances, oversight of training and proper equipment, and leadership from Mayor Mike Miller.
The exit led to an existential crisis for the department, with many of the firefighters going to adjacent agencies, which helped cover emergencies in Wagener’s jurisdiction.
It looked like things might be getting back on track, with the city offering the job of fire chief to Hendrik Swanepoel earlier this month.
He initially accepted the job, then backed out. Then on Sunday, he announced once again that he’d accepted the position.
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He told News 12 he’d backed out because there was a SLED investigation and he wanted to let it play out before accepting the job.
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He was apparently right about that SLED investigation. News 12 has reached out to the agency for further explanation of the arrests.
After his initial acceptance, he’d sent text messages to the volunteers He asking them to bring in their gear and all equipment for inspection.
He also told them they would need to fill out new applications to be considered.
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He said he appreciated everything they had done in the past, “but we are going to bring the town in the right direction and will not tolerate the drama.”
He said he hopes to gain the community’s trust back.
“To come and have the community involved, and just be a family in like the old days,’ he said. ”Be a fire department and nobody for politics. So that’s what we want. We want the community to come in here if they want to talk and be open."
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