SC man used millions scammed from investors on Vegas trips, farm tools, prosecutor says

Noah Feit
·2 min read
9

A Lexington County man will serve time in prison after being convicted of scamming investors out of millions of dollars, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Samuel Sturkie Jackson, Jr., a 51-year-old Pelion resident, was sentenced to four years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Friday in a news release.

Jackson ran a business called Little Giant ATM, which he used to get investments from individuals with the promise they would receive a monthly rate of return, according to the news release.

The purpose of these investments was to load cash into the ATM machines, with anticipated profits from transaction fees, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

However, from 2015 to 2019 Jackson converted money from the business and investor deposits to his own use, according to the release. Jackson spent the money on things including farm equipment, cars, to trips to Las Vegas, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Through the scheme, Jackson defrauded Little Giant ATM investors of more than $3.4 million, according to the release.

“When taxpayers invest their hard-earned money in a business, they have every right to expect that no one will rob them,” U.S. Attorney Adair Boroughs said in the release. “Samuel Jackson did exactly that, and stole millions.”

Jackson’s prison sentence will be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. There is no parole in the federal system.

Jackson was also ordered to pay $3.4 million in restitution, according to the release.

“Samuel Jackson turned his investors into victims, betraying their trust to carry out his own embezzlement scheme,” said John Hirt, special agent in charge of the Columbia Field Office for the U.S. Secret Service, which investigated Jackson along with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

Book Andrews prosecuted the case.

“White-collar crime costs all of us,” SLED Chief Mark Keel said in the release.

Jackson faces pending charges in common pleas court where Little Giant ATM is listed as a plaintiff, Lexington County court records show. The Studemeyer Law Firm in Irmo is listed as Jackson’s attorney, according to court records.

In 2019, Jackson was charged with five counts of breach/obtain signature or prop. under false pretenses (value $10,000 or more), and three counts of forgery (value $10,000 or more), but those state charges were not prosecuted, according to court records.