Nineteen Irish people have pleaded not guilty to federal racketeering charges in the US state of South Carolina, according to local press reports.

Federal magistrate judge Shiva Hodges released the 19 Irish Travellers – who are accused of being involved in a major financial fraud ring – on a $25,000 unsecured bond, The State reported.

The FBI investigation alleges the accused were involved in money laundering, illegal banking transactions, food stamp and medicaid fraud as well as other offences.

The judge spent 27 minutes reading a 17-page federal indictment made on August 16th, adding that the charges carry a maximum $250,000 fine and a 20-year prison sentence.

The report added that the group, who are from the Murphy Village area of Aiken County, were represented by some of South Carolina’s best known and expensive criminal defence lawyers.

The report also said federal authorities seized 25 mostly high-end vehicles from the Travellers in the Murphy Village area including a Porsche, a Mercedes, three BMWs and three Lexuses.

Murphy Village is home to one of the largest communities of Irish Travellers in the US – with about 1,400 members of the community living there.

Three more are also expected to be arraigned, and plead not guilty.

The report added that a small segment of the community have for years been the subject of police raids. “In 2002, for example, a state task force swept through Murphy Village and arrested 14 Irish Travellers on charges of food stamp fraud, tax evasion and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.”