Former Solicitor Dan Johnson pleads guilty to spending taxpayers money for trips and hotels

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COLUMBIA,SC (WOLO) – Former fifth circuit solicitor Dan Johnson could be facing jail time after pleading guilty to wire fraud. Johnson admitted to spending more than $44,000 of taxpayers money for personal expenses.

“We believe today’s plea is an important step forward,” U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon said. “The message today is that the law comes in one size. One size fits all. And it most definitely fits Dan Johnson.”

On Tuesday Johnson admitted to spending tax payers money on trips around the world. Including hotel stays in Las Vegas, Chicago, and the Hilton in Columbia. Johnson  also purchased a personal flight on a Panamanian airline.

Prosecutors say his bills racked up to more than $44,000 in this one charge, his other charges of mail fraud and obstruction of justice were dropped as a part of his plea deal.

“More hotel stays, more flights more trips,”Prosceutor Winston Holliday said. “When somebody pleads guilty they plead to the entire scheme but its a subset of the scheme. Count 2 captured some of the transactions but certainly not all of them.”

The evidence was in credit card statements from November of 2016. Prosecutors say the misuse of funds likely started when staff changes where made at the solicitor’s office.

“There was an individual there who was monitoring the credit card bills and means by which they were process in a rigorous way and he left,” Holliday said.

Johnson walked out of federal court a free man, but prosecutor believe that freedom may be short lived when he’s sentenced on June 4th. Prosecutors believe he will get 12 to 18 months in prison.