Former IT security director sentenced to 2 years in prison

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A former IT security director in Horry County has been sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay back more than $340,000 after pleading guilty to theft of federal funds.

Terry Shawn Petrill, 48, of Myrtle Beach ordered but did not install 41 Cisco 3850 network switches on the Horry County network from June 2015 to August 2018, when the county received federal program funding, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Peter McCoy Jr.’s office. Petrill instead sold the switches to third parties and kept the proceeds, costing the county $345,265.

“Those who steal from our local governments are raiding the South Carolina taxpayers,” McCoy said in the release. “This is unacceptable, and as this case shows we will seek prison time and restitution against those who engage in such theft. I appreciate the dedicated work of our law enforcement partners and government officials in Horry County who provided critical assistance in this case.”

Chief U.S District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced Petrill to 24 months in federal prison, followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Horry County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian prosecuted the case.