▁Bar ack ▁Ob ama ' s ▁campaign ▁in ▁the ▁state . ▁After ▁the ▁res ignation ▁of ▁U . S . ▁Att orney ▁W alt ▁Wil kins , ▁Ob ama ▁appointed ▁N ett les ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Att orney ▁for ▁the ▁District ▁of ▁South ▁Carolina . ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁confirmed ▁the ▁nom ination ▁un anim ously . ▁ ▁N ett les ▁took ▁office ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁As ▁U . S . ▁att orney , ▁he ▁focused ▁his ▁office ' s ▁pro sec ution ▁efforts ▁on ▁public ▁cor ruption , ▁white - col lar ▁crime , ▁and ▁cases ▁under ▁the ▁federal ▁False ▁Cla ims ▁Act . ▁He ▁added ▁five ▁att or ne ys ▁to ▁the ▁civil ▁lit ig ation ▁staff , ▁and , ▁throughout ▁his ▁time ▁in ▁office , ▁South ▁Carolina ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁leading ▁districts ▁for ▁financial ▁recovery ▁from ▁false ▁claims . ▁His ▁office ▁purs ued ▁federal ▁cor ruption ▁charges ▁against ▁Lex ington ▁County ▁Sher iff ▁Jimmy ▁Met ts , ▁the ▁longest - ser ving ▁sh er iff ▁in ▁South ▁Carolina ▁history , ▁with ▁Met ts ▁ultimately ▁ple ading ▁guilty ▁to ▁consp i racy ▁to ▁har bor ▁illegal ▁imm igr ants . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁placed ▁less ▁emphas is ▁on ▁drug ▁crime ▁pro sec utions ▁and ▁conv ict ions . ▁N ett les ▁collabor ated ▁with ▁community ▁leaders ▁in ▁North ▁Char l eston ▁to ▁launch ▁the ▁Stop ▁and ▁Take ▁a ▁New ▁D irection ▁( ST AND ) ▁program , ▁an ▁initi ative ▁that ▁allowed ▁a