Federal Hate-Crime Charges Filed in Conway

Federal prosecutors have charged a former Conway man in a cross-burning case, turning a local harassment prosecution into a federal civil-rights case. (justice.gov) A federal grand jury in Florence indicted Worden Evander Butler, 31, on April 22, 2026, on two counts: interfering with the housing rights of his Black neighbors and using fire to commit a federal felony. Prosecutors said the case stems from a burning cross set up on Nov. 24, 2023, at a Corbett Drive property near Conway. (justice.gov) The indictment says Butler posted photos of the neighbors’ home, vehicles and mailbox on Facebook and wrote that he would give them “a good scare” with “a cross in the lawn” before setting a cross on fire in his backyard. He was arrested in California, made an initial appearance there on April 22, and is scheduled for arraignment in Florence on May 5 at 2:30 p.m. (justice.gov) The federal case reaches beyond the state charge Butler already resolved. WBTW reported Butler pleaded guilty in January 2025 to second-degree harassment in state court and received a time-served sentence tied to the same cross-burning episode. (wbtw.com) Federal prosecutors are using a housing-rights statute, which makes it a crime to use force, threats or intimidation to interfere with someone’s housing because of race. The second count adds an allegation that fire was used to carry out that felony, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Butler faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. (justice.gov) The case has also become a marker in South Carolina’s long-running debate over hate-crime enforcement. South Carolina still has no standalone state hate-crime law, and the U.S. Department of Justice says the state recorded 115 hate-crime incidents in 2023, including 70 tied to race, ethnicity or ancestry. (justice.gov) The cross burning drew national attention in late 2023 and prompted both local and federal scrutiny. WBTW reported a Horry County judge declared the property a nuisance in March 2024, closed it for a year, then later barred Butler and Alexis Hartnett from returning even after the home reopened for occupancy in October. (wbtw.com) Hartnett still faces related state charges, according to WBTW, while federal prosecutors have so far announced charges only against Butler. The Justice Department said Butler is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. (wbtw.com; justice.gov) For the Williams family, the next marker is federal court in Florence on May 5. For prosecutors, the case now tests whether a symbol long tied to racial terror can bring a federal conviction in Conway. (justice.gov);