CASHED OUT

Former Sheriff Lt. Sent to Prison for Moonlighting as Illegal Gambling Kingpin

Fuleihan has also been ordered to pay every victim of his crime as part of a plea deal.

Former Florence County Sheriff Lt. Mark Edward Fuleihan will serve a year and a day in a federal prison after pleading guilty to illegally running a gambling business. Fuleihan and one other former deputy received a plea deal back in April after admitting to unlawfully and knowingly managing and owning an illegal gambling business. Between 2013 and 2017, Fuleihan accepted monetary bribes from “associates” in the gambling business in exchange for tipping them off about potential raids and investigations. At least one associate said Fuleihan also sold previously seized gambling machines back to members of the gambling ring.

Part of his plea deal requires Fuleihan to pay every victim who might have been harmed by his crimes. Charges of intimidating witnesses and jurors, and tampering with a witness, victim or informant were dropped as part of the deal.