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South Carolina's top officer not releasing details on 2012 hack that stole millions of tax returns

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South Carolina's top officer not releasing details on 2012 hack that stole millions of tax returns


COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Twelve years after a hacker stole personal data from more than 3.6 million people in South Carolina by obtaining Social Security numbers and credit card information from tax returns, the state’s top police officer said Wednesday he thought he knew who did it but wasn’t ready to name anyone.

State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel was careful not to release many details during his confirmation hearing for another six-year term. He said what authorities didn’t find shows that the state had the right response after the U.S. Secret Service identified the hack and data breach in October 2012.

RADIO STATIONS IN SEVERAL STATES SAY SIGNALS WERE HACKED WITH ANTI-TRUMP RAP

“I think the fact that we didn’t come up with a whole lot of people’s information that got breached is a testament to the work that people have done on this case,” Keel said.

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State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel waits to answer questions at his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Columbia, S.C.  (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

A contractor with the state Department of Revenue clicked on a malicious link in an email in the summer of 2012, allowing a hacker to access 6.4 million state income tax returns. They collected the Social Security numbers of 3.6 million people and almost 400,000 credit and debit card numbers.

The state paid $12 million for identity theft protection and credit monitoring for its residents after the breach, At the time, it was one of the largest breaches in U.S. history but has since been surpassed greatly by hacks to Equifax, Yahoo, Home Depot, Target and PlayStation.

Democratic Sen. Brad Hutto has been searching for answers for over a decade and has been repeatedly told it was an active investigation and couldn’t be talked about. Hutto decided to ask Keel about the breach Wednesday to try to get answers in public.

“Now you can tell us that y’all paid somebody in Azerbaijan $28,000 or whatever it was,” Hutto said.

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Keel refused again to say if South Carolina paid a ransom to the hacker to get the information back.

“I’m probably still not going to be totally transparent with you, OK?” Keel said. “I’m not going to lie to you either.”

Keel justified the insurance for taxpayers and the federal and state investigative work by saying the quick action prevented the hacked information from being used and the proof was what didn’t happen — an onslaught of bogus credit card charges or people using stolen ID information.

In retrospect, the state may not have had to spend $12 million on insurance. But that is with the benefit of hindsight, Keel said.

“We didn’t really have a choice,” Keel said. “It was something that we had to do because at the time this happen we had to start trying to protect people immediately. We didn’t have time for the investigation to play out the way it ultimately played out.”

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Hutto responded: “Did it play out? Do you know who did it?”

“Yes, sir, I know who did it,” Keel said, refusing to give any other details.

Hutto asked if the person had been prosecuted, then laughed and said it might have been because the person was paid off.

Keel didn’t respond to the bait. “If we could ever get to this individual, they may be,” he said.

The Senate subcommittee approved Keel’s nomination for an additional six-year term. It now goes to the full Judiciary Committee.

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Keel has worked at the State Law Enforcement Division for nearly his entire 44-year law enforcement career, other than a three-year stint as the Department of Public Safety’s director.

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He rose through the ranks in jobs like helicopter pilot and hostage negotiator before becoming the agency’s chief of staff in 2001. He spent a year as interim director in 2007 before being passed over by then-Gov. Mark Sanford for the top job.

Gov. Nikki Haley chose Keel to lead the State Law Enforcement Division in 2011.



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South Carolina Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 10, 2026

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South Carolina Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 10, 2026


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The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

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Here’s a look at March 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 10 drawing

16-21-30-35-65, Mega Ball: 07

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 7-8-3, FB: 4

Evening: 6-9-0, FB: 0

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Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 3-7-7-1, FB: 4

Evening: 1-3-5-8, FB: 0

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 07

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Evening: 06

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from March 10 drawing

04-05-06-07-11

Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:

For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.

Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.

SC Education Lottery

P.O. Box 11039

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Columbia, SC 29211-1039

For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.

Columbia Claims Center

1303 Assembly Street

Columbia, SC 29201

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Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.

For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.

When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
  • Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
  • Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
  • Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Source: Lamont Paris returning to South Carolina next season

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Source: Lamont Paris returning to South Carolina next season


NOTE: The above video is a livestream of WIS featuring current newscasts, Soda City Living and Gray Media’s Local News Live.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Lamont Paris will remain the head coach for South Carolina men’s basketball next season.

A source confirmed to WIS that Paris will return for his fifth season at the helm.

The Gamecocks have gone 62-67 under Paris, which included an NCAA Tournament appearance during the 2023-24 season. In the two seasons since, however, South Carolina has gone 12-20 and 13-18, respectively.

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Paris’s tenure has also included a 23-49 record against the SEC as of Tuesday.

The Gamecocks will face Oklahoma on Wednesday in the first round of the SEC Tournament in Nashville. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. The game will also be televised on the SEC Network.

Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WIS. For more free content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter, and download our apps. Have feedback that can help us improve? Click here.



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Alexander brothers convicted of sex trafficking in Manhattan federal court

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Alexander brothers convicted of sex trafficking in Manhattan federal court


NEW YORK — Three brothers, including two of the nation’s most successful luxury real estate brokers, were convicted of sex trafficking Monday after a five-week trial over accusations that they drugged and raped scores of women they had dazzled with their wealth and opulent lifestyle.

The verdict came after 11 women testified in Manhattan federal court they were sexually assaulted by one or more of the brothers: twins Oren and Alon Alexander, 38, and Tal Alexander, 39. All three shook their heads as the jury foreperson said “guilty” 19 straight times, a powerful reckoning that could put them behind bars for the rest of their lives.

Tal Alexander dropped his head into his crossed arms. Their stunned parents sat in the gallery behind them. Alon Alexander’s wife shielded her face with her hand and appeared to fight back tears.

Judge Valerie E. Caproni set sentencing for Aug. 6. The brothers, jailed since their 2024 arrests, will appeal the verdict, their lawyers said.

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“We believe in our clients’ innocence and we’re not going to stop fighting until we prevail, and we believe that we will one day prevail,” defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said outside the courthouse.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton lauded the verdict as vindication for victims of crimes that often go unreported and unpunished.

“The truth is sex trafficking and other federal sex offenses are present in many walks of life and we have not done enough to root it out,” Clayton said in a statement.

Dozens of women say they were drugged and assaulted

The verdict represented a spectacular fall for Oren and Tal Alexander, once known as real estate’s “A Team” for their high-ticket sales and celebrity clientele. After smashing sales records at industry powerhouse Douglas Elliman, the brothers started their own firm. Alon Alexander ran their family’s private security company.

Victims testified that they met the brothers at nightclubs, parties and on dating apps, and were attacked after accepting their invitations to all-expense paid getaways to the Hamptons; Aspen, Colorado; and a Caribbean cruise. More than 60 women say they were raped by one or more of the brothers, according to prosecutors.

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Defense lawyers suggested the accusers had faulty memories or were hoping to cash in on the brothers’ fortunes. The brothers were womanizers, their lawyers conceded. But they insisted any sex was consensual.

In addition to the top charges, Alon and Tal Alexander were also convicted of sex trafficking of a minor while Alon and Oren Alexander were convicted of aggravated sexual abuse by force or intoxicant and sexual abuse of a physically incapacitated person. Oren Alexander was also convicted of sexually exploiting a minor after prosecutors showed the jury a video he recorded of himself appearing to assault a drugged 17-year-old.

Lawsuits expose an open secret in the real estate world

Besides the criminal case, the brothers have faced about two dozen lawsuits over the last two years, including one filed last week in which Tracy Tutor, a star of Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,” alleges Oren Alexander drugged and assaulted her while she was in New York City for a real estate event.

When the first of the lawsuits were filed, multiple women came forward claiming they had also been assaulted, and that the brothers’ misconduct had been an open secret in the real estate world. The government took notice and opened a criminal case.

During the trial, many women who testified said they believed the brothers had spiked their drinks. Some described feeling like they’d lost control of their bodies.

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One woman testified that she met the brothers in 2012 at a party at actor Zac Efron’s Manhattan apartment. She said she had almost no interaction with the actor, who was not accused of any misdeeds, and went to a nightclub later in the night before waking up naked with a nude Alon Alexander standing over her.

“I don’t want to have sex with you,” she testified telling him. “Haha, you already did,” she recalled him snapping back as he “laughed in my face.”

Testimony challenges claim that money drove allegations

Prosecutors pushed back against the idea that the accusers were hoping to cash in on lawsuits. Only two have lawsuits pending, prosecutor Elizabeth Espinosa told jurors, and both are wealthy.

One woman who testified said she was raped by Alon Alexander in Aspen, Colorado, in 2017, when she was 17. She said she was the daughter of a billionaire.

“I don’t want their money. I just don’t want them to have it,” she told jurors.

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Lindsey Acree, an artist and gallery owner, testified she was raped by Tal Alexander and another man at a home in the Hamptons in 2011 after taking a drink that left her feeling paralyzed.

The woman said she sued last year even though she will “never need their money” because the Alexanders “kept calling us gold diggers, shake down artists, con artists.”

“If there’s a kid with a stick who keeps hitting people, you take their stick away,” she told the jury. “Money is their stick, so you take it away so they can’t hurt people anymore.”

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly, as Acree and Tutor have done.

Copyright 2026 NPR

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