COLUMBIA, SC (WSPA) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced Thursday that a South Carolina State Grand Jury indicted 29 individuals on multiple charges following the 2018 riots at Lee Correctional Institution.

According to a news release, the grand jury issued indictments in the case known as “Yard Work” that alleges several conspiracies and violent acts happened during the riots on April 15, 2018.

The riots took place in the F-1, F-3 and F-5 dorms, and resulted in injuries to several prisoners, as well as the deaths of Eddie Casey Gaskins, Joshua Jenkins, Cornelius McClary, Michael Milledge, Damonte Rivera, Corey Scott and Raymond Angelo Scott.

The indictments follow a December 2019 request for a state grand jury to investigate the riots at Lee Correctional.

According to the release, the indictments reportedly allege three conspiracies of groups of current or former inmates who, “did conspire and combine for the purpose of engaging in violence against other inmates at the Lee Correctional Institution.”

During the press conference Thursday, Third Circuit Solicitor Ernest Finney III said the investigation into the riots was complicated. “The first thing these criminals did was destroy the video taping system so there wouldn’t be good evidence to use,” he said.

According to the state Attorney General’s office, violence erupted at the prison after gang members killed a well-liked prisoner for his contraband. A rival gang then retaliated and violence spread to three different dorms at Lee Correctional.

Officials said gang members were able to communicate with one another using cell phones. They believe the smuggled cell phones helped escalate the violence that night.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said, “It basically allowed them to start a mob right within the prison system.”

The inmates involved were indicted on various charges, including murder, assault and battery by mob (death results), assault and battery by mob (serious injury results) and prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon.

According to the release, the unsealed indictment is a total of 62 counts against 29 people.

The following is a list of those indicted in the case:

  • Stephen J. Green (aka- “Tank”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • Murder
    • First-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Michael Juan Smith (aka- “Flame”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • First-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Andre T. Boone (aka- “Fang”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • First-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
  • Michael Antonio Williams (aka- “Mikey”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • First-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
  • Jerell Rashaun Jackson
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • First-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Keon Daunte Moore
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • First-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Rico Hickman
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • First-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
  • Mike Smalls
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • First-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Tyrone Lewis
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Teron Hikeen Jackson (aka- “Teron Hakeen Jackson,” “2-5”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • First-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
  • Jacoby Jamar Gregory
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Shawn Roseberry Bisnauth
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • First-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Arsenio Donta Charle Colclough
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Torey Robert Blackwell (aka- “Zay”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • First-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
  • Rahim F. Carter (aka- “Zilla”)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Montez Lavarrey Rutledge (aka- “Booger Rat”)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Ricardo Labruce Joseph (aka- “Townhead”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • Murder
    • First-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Danielle Lamar Peay (aka- “P”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • Murder
    • First-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
    • Second-degree assault and battery by mob (serious bodily injury results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Harold Leon Junes III, (aka- “Red”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • Second-degree assault and battery by mob (serious bodily injury results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Jeffrey Samuels
    • Second-degree assault and battery by mob (serious bodily injury results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Kevin Tyrone Bryant (aka- “KB”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • Second-degree assault and battery by mob (serious bodily injury results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Jody Lovonte Gary (aka- “Deek”, “Dirt”)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Jordan Russell Wall (aka- “Chucky”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • 3 counts of first-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Chan Soheap Bun (aka- “Bun C”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Richard Dewayne Lyles (aka- “White Boy Lyles”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • 3 counts of first-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Joshua Phillips
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • 3 counts of first-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Christopher Devaul Lovely (aka- “P-90”)
    • 3 counts of first-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Derrick Jerrod Rice (aka- “9-0”)
    • Criminal conspiracy
    • 3 counts of first-degree assault and battery by mob (death results)
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon
  • Antwan Dominique Grayson
    • Prisoner carrying or concealing a weapon

According to the release, bond hearings for four of the defendants not currently in the South Carolina Department of Corrections were held remotely on Dec. 2, 2020.

Michael Juan Smith and Derrick Jerrod Rice were denied bond.

Ricardo Labruce Joseph was given a $125,000 surety bond and Jody Lovonte Gary was given a $75,000 surety bond.

According to the release, bond hearings for the other defendants currently in the department of corrections will be held at a later date.

“Illegal cell phones in our prisons continue to drive and facilitate the contraband trade within the walls, and that contraband trade drives much of the violence within the institutions,” Attorney General Alan Wilson said.  “Violence also spreads within the institutions because of contraband cell phones.”

Wilson asked anyone with information regarding the Lee Correctional riots, or anyone with information on contraband in SCDC, to call the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

“From the moment this happened, we have insisted that these men be brought to justice for the murder and mayhem they caused at Lee Correctional Institution,” Bryan Stirling, director of the S.C. Department of Corrections, said. “I want to thank the Attorney General, SLED, Lee County Sheriff’s Department, SCDC Police Services and everyone else involved for their hard work and diligence in bringing these charges. As I’ve said before, illegal cell phones contribute to contraband and violence, and we need national legislation to allow us to stop these phones from working.”

Watch the full press conference below: