In Spartanburg County, Former Sheriff Deputy Charged with Misconduct
In some rather unsettling news out of Spartanburg County, Avery Dean Hand, a former deputy sheriff, stands accused of revealing confidential details related to a homicide case. Hand, 29, was officially charged on December 6 with misconduct in office and disclosure of confidential information.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division said that the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office originally tipped them off to the fact that Hand might have shared sensitive information regarding a murder with an individual associated with the case.
Meeting in Comfort Suites
According to a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) arrest affidavit, on March 27, 2023, Hand reportedly met some individuals connected to the homicide in the quite unsuspecting locale of a Comfort Suites hotel parking lot. It turned out that this meeting happened just a day after the murder took place. SLED, however, has refused to disclose the identities of those individuals.
During their meeting in the hotel lot, one individual supposedly confessed their part in a homicide case the Spartanburg City Police Department had on their hands. Not just that, they proceeded to provide Hand with the name of the murder victim. Astonishingly, Hand, in front of the confessor, blatantly disregarded protocols and opened up the sheriff’s department database. He then allowed the individual to browse through the records related to the ongoing investigation into the homicide.
The plot thickens, because after Hand made his exit from the hotel, the individual who had looked at the database decided to share the confidential details with yet another person whose identity remains a mystery at this point.
Official Termination
In terms of his service history, Hand worked as a sheriff’s deputy for almost two years before getting canned on May 23, 2023, according to SCSO Lt. Kevin Bobo. Bobo didn’t provide any reasons behind Hand’s termination.
The debacle was uncovered when the Spartanburg Police Department informed the sheriff’s department about Hand accessing the records database. โAt the time of disclosure, the investigative reports were stored in a joint SCSO and SPS record management system that were not available to the public,โ SLED had to say through the affidavit.
They further added, โDeputy Hand accessed the confidential information and provided information contained in those records to person(s) not authorized.โ
Next Steps
Hand was promptly arrested and sentenced on December 6. Thankfully, he was released the same day after posting a $1,000 personal recognizance bond. The saga will continue as Hand is expected to make his first court appearance on February 20.
This saga serves as a reminder โ leaking such vital and confidential information associated with serious crimes like homicide is never to be taken lightly. It’s vigilant reporting from within organizations that helps unmask these serious misconducts so that justice can be promptly served.
