Colleton County Sheriff’s lieutenant under federal indictment

Colleton County Sheriff’s lieutenant Fred Allen Inabinett was arrested Friday and charged with obstruction of justice and lying on affidavits, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced.

In September of last year a U.S. district judge authorized the interception of phone calls made by a suspected drug trafficker in Colleton County known as E.S.

In November officials learned E.S. contacted Inabinett asking for information on a car that was following him.

E.S. gave Inabinett the license plate number of the vehicle, which Inabinett is accused of telling him was registered to law enforcement, an affidavit stated.

Federal agents were following E.S. in connection with a drug trafficking investigation.

Agents met with Inabinett in January to discuss their ongoing investigation of E.S. and why the man knew he was being tailed.

Inabinett acknowledged that E.S. contacted him about the vehicle, but said he did not tell the suspect that it belonged to law enforcement, the affidavit stated.

The FBI met with Inabinett again following the arrest of E.S. in April. Inabinett continued to insist he did not tell the man who was following him.

The FBI released the following statement regarding the case:

“Public Corruption is the criminal priority of the FBI. The FBI investigates allegations of corruption involving elected officials, law enforcement officers, and government employees at the federal, state, and local levels. Any allegations of corruption should be directed to the local FBI office.”

Inabinett, reached by phone today, deferred questions to Sheriff George Malone. He has not hired an attorney, he said. “I have (read the indictment) but I can’t speak on it,” he said.

The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office was not immediately available for comment.

We will continue to update this story as details are available.