South Carolina just showed what serious worksite enforcement looks like.
On June 4, 2026, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office announced the results of a long-running investigation it calls Operation Ghost Story.
The probe began in the fall of 2024 and culminated in a worksite operation the day before, on June 3, at Burnstein Von Seelen Precision Casting in Abbeville.
Two managers were arrested on State Grand Jury charges. ICE detained 48 workers for immigration violations.
The Attorney General’s Office also posted the announcement publicly:
Attorney General Alan Wilson announces multi-jurisdictional law enforcement operation resulting in 48 illegal immigrants detained and 6 defendants indicted for use of fraudulent identity documents pic.twitter.com/MYMsIGoi2m
— South Carolina Attorney General's Office (@SCAttyGenOffice) June 4, 2026
The name of the operation fits the allegations.
According to the indictments, the scheme relied on forged identity documents, including the dates of birth and Social Security numbers of actual U.S. citizens.
In plain terms, real Americans had their identities used as cover so illegal workers could be put on the payroll.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office laid out the scope of the operation in its announcement:
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today that the South Carolina State Grand Jury has issued six indictments in an investigation known as “Ghost Story”. To date, six defendants have been indicted on illegal immigration and identity theft charges, following an investigation that began in the fall of 2024 with cooperation from state, federal, and local law enforcement agencies in South Carolina.
A multi-jurisdictional law enforcement operation was conducted on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at South Carolina business Burnstein Von Seelen Precision Casting in Abbeville, South Carolina. Two managers were arrested on their State Grand Jury charges, and 48 workers at the business were detained by ICE for immigration violations.
“If you are unlawfully aiding illegal immigrants in South Carolina, you are going to be investigated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Attorney General Alan Wilson said. “If you are taking advantage of hard-working Americans, stealing their identities, and are intentionally ignoring your responsibilities as an employer in an effort to circumvent the law, we are coming for you,” he added.
“These crimes are not only stealing jobs from American employees but also pose a serious risk to national security. When criminals make it easy for illegal aliens to get fake identification documents, we don’t know who is working in our country, and in this operation, specifically, our national security and manufacturing sectors.”
The State Grand Jury’s indictments reflect an investigation into the extensive problem of how easily illegal immigrants in South Carolina can get fake US and State identification from “document vendors” throughout the State. It also reflects allegations that a business in South Carolina knowingly facilitated the use of fraudulent identification by illegal immigrants they employed.
ADVERTISEMENTThe indictments allege that two managers of Burnstein Von Seelen Precision Casting, Christopher Douglas Ramey and Sandy Lynn Willis, violated their legal obligations to verify the legitimacy of IDs before hiring employees, and facilitated the use of forged identity documents by illegal immigrants at the business. The remaining defendants were allegedly document vendors who obtained forged state driver’s licenses, USA social security cards, or other fake identification for illegal immigrants to use.
These fake identity cards included the use of the dates of birth and Social Security numbers of actual United States citizens. This investigation is ongoing, and certain aspects of the investigation remain sealed.
The office says the investigation is ongoing and that certain aspects remain sealed.
That signals more charges could be coming as the work continues.
This is the kind of case that gets built when state and federal authorities actually want to enforce the law instead of looking the other way.
State officials told the AP that federal authorities joined the investigation after President Trump took office, following local frustration with how the Biden administration handled enforcement.
That partnership is the difference between a stalled state case and one that ends with 48 detentions and indicted managers.
The victims here are the citizens whose Social Security numbers and birth dates were stolen and slapped onto fraudulent documents.
Identity theft is not a victimless crime, and South Carolina prosecutors are treating it that way.
With the investigation still open and parts of it sealed, the people running this scheme should expect the next chapter to be just as unwelcome as the first.
