Fired SC Trooper faces drug charges in FBI sting in which 4 in Grand Strand were indicted

 A fired South Carolina State Trooper who served in the Grand Strand area is now among four others from the area indicted in a national FBI money laundering and drug sting, authorities say.

Former L/Cpl. J.D. McGaha, who was terminated March 18 from the SCHP, was indicted last week after he was investigated for his connection with several Myrtle Beach business men who were involved in drug trafficking and money charges, according to his attorney.

McGaha — a 10-year veteran of the SCHP —  was indicted Tuesday for narcotics conspiracy and faces a maximum sentence of  life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 10 years, said US Department of Justice official, Abraham Simmons.

McGaha’s attorney confirms that he surrendered to authorities on Friday. McGaha bond was set at $50k.

His formal arraignment date is set for March 31 in San Francisco, Simmons said. McGaha’s indictment supersedes a Federal indictment released last week which details charges against several men.

McGaha joins 7 men — four from the Grand Strand — were arrested on earlier this month in an “elaborate money laundering scheme,” officials said.

Mike Rose (owner of Rodeo Bar and Grill and the Gold Club in Myrtle Beach), Vladimir Handl (owner of Heat Ultra Lounge in Myrtle Beach), Peter Scalise (part owner of Zest in Georgetown), and David Gaither (an-ex myrtle Beach Police Officer) all pleaded not guilty to the charges on last Monday, said Abraham Simmons with the United States Department .

Paul Fink, one of the seven indicted outside of our area, also pleaded not guilty.

“According to the indictment, Handl and Rose, along with their associates Scalise and Gaither, conspired to conduct the affairs of an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering involving money laundering, bank fraud and drug trafficking,” officials stated in an official press release. Officials allege the men knowingly accepted more than $2.3 million they believed either had been fraudulently diverted from a bankruptcy court proceeding or constituted proceeds from drug trafficking, and then laundered the money through their businesses. Officials allege the actions occurred between 2011 and 2015, and involved Rose’s Gold Clubs.

A May 14th Magistrate court date has been set in the Northern District of California in front of Judge Corley for a status hearing for all five men, Simmons told WBTW.

Simmons says Edwin Hetherton, another one of the seven indicted outside of South Carolina, is still looking for an attorney.

Simmons tells News 13 Hetherton will have a different magistrate court date set on April 6th in front of Judge Laporte.

All 7 men are currently out on bond, according to Simmons. However, what if any restrictions have been placed on their bond at this point is unknown, he added.

Simmons says Richard Leyland, who was taken into custody near Fort Washington Pennsylvania, is the only one who is not out on bond.

Simmons says Leyland did not appear in court last Monday because he was still en route to California.