Local Juror and Defendant Pleads Guilty to Bribery and Drug Charges
September 3, 2024
Cleo Canty pled guilty on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, to charges of obstruction of justice, accepting of bribes by juror, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The Honorable Daniel Coble sentenced Canty under the Youthful Offender Act to a term of imprisonment not to exceed five years, suspended on two years of probation, with the special condition that he is to perform 150 hours of community service.
Canty served as a juror in the trial of Leonard Washington, which took place from April 26 to April 27, 2021. The trafficking heroin trial resulted in a hung jury solely due to the bribe that Canty accepted. Washington, however, subsequently entered a guilty plea to trafficking heroin and bribery charges, which resulted in him being sentenced to 18 years in prison by The Honorable Clifton Newman.
The investigation into Canty’s actions began on Nov. 1, 2021, when Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) Major Ricky Johnson and Investigator Megan Siegler met with a confidential source who had information regarding Canty and Washington. The source alleged that Canty approached Washington during the second day of trial at Drake’s Duck-In’s Main Street location and offered to persuade the jury to acquit him in exchange for a bribe.
When confronted by RCSD, Canty reportedly shared with them that an individual associated with Washington approached him after the first day of trial, asking if he was “going to do his boy (Washington) right.”
Although the confidential source and Canty’s accounts differed, video footage from the restaurant captured an exchange of money between Washington and Canty, corroborating the bribery allegations.
RCSD arrested Canty at his apartment on Dec. 8, 2021. During the arrest, agents found marijuana, THC candies, and a firearm.
“The Defendants sought to circumvent the rule of law and undermine our entire criminal justice system. Through the diligent efforts of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and my staff, the integrity of this system that we, as citizens, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers, believe in so deeply remains intact. Despite the Defendants’ efforts, the criminal justice system is not and will not be controlled by the criminal element,” Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor Byron E. Gipson said.
The Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office, represented by Assistant Solicitor Nicolas Fowler, prosecuted the case.