Former Attorney For Prominent South Carolina Law Firm Pleads Guilty To Embezzling Over One Million Dollars

Former Motley Rice attorney William Chris Swett pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering for stealing 1.5 million dollars from his firm and clients.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 20, 2026, 2:12 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The State

Federal Court Accepts Guilty Plea In Large Scale Legal Fraud Case

A legal professional from an elite South Carolina law firm faces a potential twenty year prison sentence after admitting to a multi-year financial fraud scheme. William Chris Swett appeared Thursday in a Charleston federal court before U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel to formally enter his plea. The charges of wire fraud and money laundering represent a significant fall for the 42 year old Johns Island resident, who was once a trusted member of a top-tier litigation team specializing in complex consumer and worker protection cases.

Elaborate Shell Company Scheme Used To Deceive Law Firm Partners

According to federal charging documents, Swett’s unlawful activities began as early as 2018 and continued until March 2024. During this period, he established two shell companies designed to mimic legitimate legal service providers. Swett then utilized these entities to bill his employer for services that were never performed. The fraud was supported by the creation of counterfeit billing invoices and reimbursement requests for non-existent professional expenses, including airplane flights, hotel stays, meals, and expert witness meetings.

Exploitation Of High Value Litigation Funds And Firm Resources

During his tenure at the Mount Pleasant based Motley Rice law firm, Swett was responsible for overseeing funds related to lawsuits involving injuries and deaths from asbestos exposure. Because settlements in these types of cases are often sizable, Swett was able to divert significant portions of client and firm money without immediate detection. The government’s investigation also indicated that Swett utilized his wife, a paralegal at the firm, to facilitate certain aspects of the fraud, though she has not been charged and may have been an unwitting participant.