COLUMBIA, S.C. — A 19-year-old from Beaufort County now faces 14 forgery counts, accusing him of supplying fake driver’s licenses to people too young to hold them legally.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division filed the charges against James Patrick Thomas Jr. on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Each count is listed as forgery with no dollar amount involved. The agency opened its investigation at the request of the Clemson Police Department.
Arrest warrants say Thomas admitted on Oct. 23 that he arranged for the forged licenses and handed them out to underage people. Investigators say he acknowledged receiving at least four packages of fake documents since December 2025, with each package covering at least 10 people who each got two copies, or no fewer than 20 licenses per package.
The warrants also say he took money to buy the licenses and help forge them. Seized cards bore the designs of South Carolina, Florida and Illinois licenses.
He was taken to jail in Pickens County after his arrest, and prosecutors from the 13th Circuit Solicitor’s Office are assigned to the case.
Section: More Beaufort SC crime news
Filed under: Beaufort SC Crime News
