First defendant sentenced in North Charleston public corruption scheme

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) — A man has been sentenced to prison in connection with the public corruption investigation last year.

Hason Tatorian “Tory” Fields, 52, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision, for conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud.

Evidence revealed that Fields conspired with others to pay bribes to former North Charleston Councilmember Sandino Savalas Moses. Fields paid him two bribes as part of an effort to secure his support for the rezoning of the Baker Hospital site.

The U.S. Department of Justice said the rezoning application was pending before the City Council when Fields first approached Moses.

Fields is the first of eight defendants charged in the corruption scheme to be sentenced. The DOJ said that six others, Moses, former Councilmember Jerome Sydney Heyward, Donavan Laval Moten, Aaron Charles-Lee Hicks, former Councilmember Mike A. Brown and Michelle Stent-Hilton, are awaiting sentencing.

Rose Lorenzo is scheduled for jury selection in July.