Columbia, South Carolina – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced a major step in the “Ghost Story” investigation after a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement operation in Abbeville led to the detention of 48 workers by ICE and the arrest of two business managers accused in a broader identity fraud case.
The operation took place Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at Burnstein Von Seelen Precision Casting in Abbeville. According to Wilson’s office, the South Carolina State Grand Jury has issued six indictments connected to the investigation, which began in the fall of 2024 and involved state, federal and local law enforcement agencies across South Carolina.
At the center of the case are allegations that fraudulent identification documents were used to help illegal immigrants obtain work. Investigators say some of the fake documents included state driver’s licenses, U.S. Social Security cards and other forms of identification. Authorities also allege that some documents used the dates of birth and Social Security numbers of real United States citizens.
“If you are unlawfully aiding illegal immigrants in South Carolina, you are going to be investigated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Attorney General Alan Wilson said.
“If you are taking advantage of hard-working Americans, stealing their identities, and are intentionally ignoring your responsibilities as an employer in an effort to circumvent the law, we are coming for you.”
Wilson said the alleged crimes affected more than employment rules. He warned that forged documents can create risks when officials do not know who is working in sensitive industries, including manufacturing.
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The indictments made public include charges against six defendants. Christopher Douglas Ramey and Sandy Lynn Willis, both managers at Burnstein Von Seelen Precision Casting, were arrested on June 3. They are accused of criminal conspiracy, identity fraud to obtain employment and forgery of more than $10,000. Bond hearings for both were scheduled for Thursday, June 4, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Heath P. Taylor at the Richland County Courthouse.
Other defendants named in the case include Jose Luis Aguilar Mejia, who is at large and wanted by authorities; Lazaro Hernandez Hernandez, also known as “Diego Hernandez,” whose bond was denied on April 22, 2025; Xavier Martinez Adorno; and Zenon Rojas-Cabrera, whose bond was set at $50,000 on September 17, 2025.
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark A. Keel said the raid followed an “exhaustive, years-long investigation” and should send a warning to anyone involved in illegal employment schemes. Mark M. Zito, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina, said the crimes alleged in Operation Ghost Story were “not victimless,” pointing to citizens whose personal information may have been misused.
Eighth Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo also praised the cooperation between agencies, saying the case showed prosecutors and investigators working “shoulder-to-shoulder.”
Wilson credited the State Grand Jury staff, SLED, HSI, ICE, sheriff’s offices in Abbeville, Greenville, Newberry and Greenwood counties, and the Eighth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. The case will be prosecuted by State Grand Jury Division Chief Attorney Creighton Waters and Assistant Deputy Attorney General David Fernandez.
The investigation remains ongoing, and some parts of the case are still sealed. Wilson stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
PHOTO CREDIT: Attorney General Alan Wilson announces indictments of six people and arrests of more than 50 on the Statehouse grounds in Columbia, S.C., on Thursday, June 4, 2026. (Photo by Skylar Laird/SC Daily Gazette)
