Guilty plea agreements by 22 North Augusta residents, 20 of whom are Irish Travelers, were filed in federal court, for conspiracy to commit racketeering, the overall charge.
Federal prosecutors dropped other federal charges as leverage. They are accused of committing major financial frauds, like money laundering, life insurance, food stamps, Medicaid funds and auto financing.
A federal judge will rule on these pleas, by each individual February 28th. This action is from the joint federal-state law enforcement task force, including the IRS and the FBI.