Federal prosecutors say a Conway-area man who admitted setting a burning cross to scare his Black neighbors now faces federal civil-rights charges. A federal grand jury in Florence returned a two-count indictment on April 22, accusing him of interfering with his neighbors’ housing rights and of using fire to commit a federal felony. The case reaches back to a Thanksgiving 2023 cross-burning that drew national attention and fresh demands for a statewide hate-crimes law in South Carolina.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has identified the defendant as 31-year-old Worden Evander Butler. The indictment alleges he targeted a neighboring couple after a dispute over a property line, according to WMBF. Prosecutors say Butler faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. He was arrested in California and made an initial appearance in the Eastern District of California on April 22. The FBI Columbia Field Office and the Horry County Police Department handled the investigation, federal officials say.
What the indictment says
The federal indictment recounts a social media trail leading up to the cross-burning. On Nov. 24, 2023, Butler allegedly posted on Facebook that he would give "his racist neighbors ... a good scare for the health. With a cross in the lawn," then set up and burned a cross in his backyard, positioned toward his neighbors' home, as outlined by The State. Prosecutors further allege that Butler uploaded photos of the victims' home, vehicles and mailbox to social media, and that the victims were a married Black couple who owned their property. In a press release quoted by the paper, U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling said the alleged conduct threatened "this fundamental right" to feel safe at home.
Charges and court dates
The Florence grand jury returned the two-count indictment on April 22, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle Klein is handling the prosecution in the District of South Carolina, according to Myrtle Beach Sun News. The paper reports that Butler is scheduled to be arraigned at the McMillan Federal Building in Florence on May 5 after his earlier initial appearance in the Eastern District of California. The indictment’s federal charges carry a maximum possible penalty of 10 years in prison.
Victims react
Monica Williams, one of the neighbors targeted in the incident, told reporters her family is "still broken" and that the cross-burning stirred painful memories for her parents, according to WMBF. Shawn and Monica Williams said what started as a disagreement over the property line escalated into racial slurs and threats, culminating in the cross set ablaze next door. In the aftermath, local civil-rights leaders and the Conway NAACP pressed state lawmakers again to act on hate-crime legislation, pointing to the federal indictment as evidence of a gap in state law.
Legal context
Federal officials pursued civil-rights charges in part because South Carolina remains one of only two states without a statewide hate-crimes statute, a point highlighted in local coverage and community statements, per Myrtle Beach Sun News. Butler had already pleaded guilty in January 2025 to a state charge of second-degree harassment stemming from the incident and received a sentence of time served, according to WIS. That outcome prompted a federal review. Civil-rights charges at the federal level give the Justice Department a way to seek penalties where state law does not fully address bias-motivated intimidation.
What's next
Butler is due back in federal court in Florence on May 5 for arraignment, following the earlier initial hearing held in California after his arrest, according to case reporting. The State notes that Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle Klein will lead the prosecution and that the matter was first presented to a federal grand jury in Florence. Prosecutors say the indictment signals the Justice Department’s willingness to step in when racially motivated intimidation threatens neighbors’ right to feel secure in their own homes.
