CHARLESTON — A former North Charleston state lawmaker and attorney has been federally indicted in a scheme to defraud clients.

Former Rep. Marvin Pendarvis was indicted Nov. 5 in connection with a series of four allegedly fraudulent settlements he negotiated as part of his law practice.

Pendarvis is charged with four counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft and three money laundering-related charges.

The alleged conduct includes negotiating settlements without the clients’ knowledge and receiving settlements without the clients’ knowledge.

He’s also accused of skimming money from lawsuit payouts and then telling clients the other party settled for less than he had actually received, according to the indictment.

In total, he’s accused of stealing $235,000 from

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