North Charleston responds to FBI probe into gun violence prevention program

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) — City leaders in North Charleston have responded to allegations of an FBI investigation into a gun violence prevention program that allocated over a million dollars of taxpayer money to nonprofits.

Tony Tassarotti, spokesperson for the City of North Charleston, said, “The City of North Charleston is committed to transparency and is ready to assist with any investigation into the gun violence prevention program to ensure the community’s trust in the current administration. We take these concerns very seriously, and Mayor Burgess supports any necessary inquiries. Our dedication to safety and openness is unwavering.”

The city has also employed former US Attorney for South Carolina Peter McCoy and criminal defense attorney Nathan Williams for counsel, according to Tassarotti.

News 2 is working to learn what sparked the investigation into the program. However, according to an investigation published by the Post and Courier (P&C), city officials failed to keep track of how the money given was used and what it funded accomplished, among other things.

The Charleston newspaper also reported that former North Charleston Police Chief Greg Gomes notified P&C that the FBI contacted him on June 28 and asked for documents related to the grant program.

The Gun Violence Reduction Grant Program was approved in December 2022 and gave $100,000 to a dozen local nonprofit organizations that work to combat gun violence in the community, totaling $1.2 million.

The reduction grant program was designed to work in partnership with the North Charleston Police Department. City leaders and a committee from the police department known as NCPD Command Staff decided which nonprofits would receive the funding.

Current North Charleston Mayor Reggie Burgess, who was the city’s chief of police at the time, was one of the community stakeholders who heard presentations from the nonprofits about how they would use the funding to reduce crime if awarded.

News 2 has reached out to the FBI for comment and is awaiting a reply.