Ronald Wilbanks indicted

The former Walhalla police chief, Ronald Wilbanks, has been indicted by the South Carolina State Grand Jury on three counts of misconduct in office. The indictments were announced at the noon hour today by Alan Wilson, South Carolina Attorney General. According to the announcement, “Count One of the indictment alleges that from January 2010 until December 2017, Wilbanks asked for and illegally obtained from officers and subordinates under his command narcotic and opiate pills that the officers or their family members had obtained legitimately, and did so at times when he was on duty, in uniform, or in police vehicles or at police facilities. Count Two alleges that from January 2008 until December 2017, Wilbanks on many occasions, while on duty and in uniform, asked for and received narcotic and opiate pills from a citizen, and threatened that citizen with retaliation when the citizen refused to provide them. Count Three alleges that sometime in 2014, Wilbanks improperly gave a citizen a police department gun as part of a private deal.” All three counts are for statutory official misconduct in office, which is a misdeameanor and carries a possible penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $1,000. The case was investigated by the South Carlina Law Enforcement Division and the South Carolina State Grand Jury, and will be prosecuted by State Grand Jury Section Chief Attorney S-Creighton Waters and Senior Assistant General Brian Petrano. Wilbanks was Walhalla’s chief for 12 years until he resigned suddenly Tuesday morning at City Hall. According to Wilson, all defendants are presumed innocent until proved guilty.