NORTH CHARLESTON — A sixth defendant admitted to her role in the federal corruption probe in South Carolina’s third-largest city, acknowledging she paid an ex-councilman a portion of funds provided to her nonprofit through a city-sponsored grant program.

On Sept. 12, Michelle Stent-Hilton, 57, pleaded guilty in the downtown Charleston federal courthouse to charges including conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud and money laundering. She originally pleaded not guilty in March.

Inside the courtroom, Stent-Hilton frequently wiped her eyes and face with a tissue as U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel read out the charges against her. Her attorney, Brendan Daniels, declined to provide a comment to the newspaper after the hearing.

Eight people, including three city councilmen, were swept up in t

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