The State Law Enforcement Division will investigate why the Florence County Sheriff's Office recorded a conversation between an attorney representing a double murder suspect, her co-counsel, and the solicitor.
Circuit Court Judge Michael Nettles ordered the investigation after attorney Rosemary Parham asked for the charges against her client,Hiralkumar Gopaldas to be dismissed because of prosecutorial misconduct.
During hearing Wednesday afternoon, Parham told Judge Nettles about a meeting she had last month with 12th Circuit Solicitor Ed Clements and her co-counsel at the sheriff's office to see the physical evidence in this case.
Parham says a Florence County Sheriff's Office evidence custodian accidentally hit play on a recording device hidden in his pants, and she heard her conversation from a few moments earlier.
Attorney Parham says the evidence custodian admitted he recorded the meeting and said he was told by someone at the sheriff's office to do it, but he didn't name that person.
Judge Nettles won't decide whether to drop the charges until state police investigate if there was any wrongdoing.
"These are serious allegations, really place a cloud on not only law enforcement, the solicitor's office, judicial system at-large. I mean something needs to be looked into, and there needs to be some light shed on it," said Judge Nettles.
Solicitor Ed Clements says he was not aware of the recordings and was just as surprised as Parham when he heard their voices. Clements does say there is a sign posted outside the evidence room that says the room is subject to monitoring.
Solicitor Clements says his office and the Florence County Sheriff's Office welcome an investigation.
Judge Nettles has ordered that a state police investigator with no ties to the Pee Dee look into the matter. He's given them 30 days to complete the investigation. After that time, Nettles will hold a hearing and rule on Parham's motion to dismiss charges against Gopaldas.
Gopaldas' father, Ranjit Kalabhai, is also charged in the murders. He's been released from jail on bond.
