POKER CABAL BACK ON THE RADAR …
Lexington County, S.C. Sheriff Jimmy Metts received an ultimatum from federal agents investigating the “Lexington Ring” last week.
Their message? Resign … or else.
According to multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the ongoing probe, the veteran Sheriff – who has served at his current post since 1972 – was told a quick and graceful exit could save him prison time when the hammer finally falls on this shady entourage.
For those of you new to this site, the “Lexington Ring” is a group of corrupt politicians and crooked cops who stand accused of running an illegal video poker operation based out of Lexington County, S.C. Details of the ring – including the mechanics of its operation and the cops and politicians it had on “lockdown” – were revealed in August 2012 thanks to audio recordings of part-time LCSD employee (and Lexington, S.C. town councilman) Danny Frazier.
Details of the “Ring” were first published by The (Columbia, S.C.) Free Times and by FITS (here, here and here). Television station WIS TV 10 (NBC – Columbia, S.C.) later sunk its teeth into the story – with reporter Jody Barr filing a series of reports delving deeper into the cabal.
The tapes were originally provided to S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) – an agency in the governor’s cabinet – but no action was taken.
Ever since the story broke twenty months ago, rumors about the “Ring” have waxed and waned … with many believing the whole scandal had been swept under the rug (in typical Palmetto political fashion).
Apparently not …
According to our sources, the investigation is very much alive – and likely to be “resolved” sometime this summer.
Hmmmm …
In addition to his alleged association with the “Ring,” Metts has also been accused of failing to report generous cash contributions made to his campaign.
Ironically, even some of Metts’ critics worry about what might happen if he steps down – or is removed from office due to scandal.
“You saw what happened when they took Muammar al-Gaddafi out in Libya, right?” one source said.
As we’ve noted from the beginning of our coverage of the “Ring,” we continue to believe that all forms of gambling should be legalized in South Carolina. In fact these scandals have only heightened our resolve to integrate them into the free market – eliminating the current government-run gambling monopoly (as well as all of this backdoor corruption).
92 comments
How in the world could he report “generous cash contributions to his campaign”? They are illegal.
I have heard repeatedly this alleged investigation is one of the reasons Jean Toal back stabbed Costa Pleicones – she wants to protect the guilty, especially the lawyers who were supposed to be under investigation by her corrupt, secret gestapo Office of Disciplinary Counsel. Toal has the hammer down on Nettles to stop this thing. Given the FBI’s staunch stance that it doesn’t like to get involved in “local matters,” my money is that one or two of the lower level guys will get strung up, Metts will retire for health reasons and that will be the end of it.
““You saw what happened when they took Muammar al-Gaddafi out in Libya, right?”
You know, normally I’d have some smart ass comment like, “Dude, this isn’t Libya.”- but I’m so tired of fighting stupidity I’ve decided to instead cheer it on and feeling like I’m “winning” in a Charlie Sheen kind of way.
Libya has oil resources and thousands of years of civilization.
…and Lexingklan has neither! Nicely played, suh. Nicely played indeed…
Thanks.
The “thousands of years” was probably overkill…
Right next door to Carthage. That was civilized, at least by the standards of the time, which weren’t very high. Something must have rubbed off.
Persia.. now there’s a stalwart of civilization!
The “civilization” piece was a little bit of a stretch as well, but I gave you that as poetic license. Lexington sets a pretty low bar.
Hey, Lexington County is a bit of a sandy wasteland too. The only sandstorm I’ve ever seen was from dry fields west of Lexington.
Revenge is a dish best served cold. Bye Bye Jimmy.
If I ever hoped Will’s sources were right about something, today is that day. Of course, SLED drags ass, too. They have a couple of interesting Sheriff investigations languishing out there for over a year, too. We’ll see.
SLED only goes after the easy stuff; the Sheriff’s and Chiefs who are unsupported by a powerful political machine or like cabal and who they can make headlines on with minimal political fallout.
Nikki Haley’s SLED with her hand picked Gestapo leader (Mark Keel) is a sham, shame and disgrace!
They have been alleged to start investigations on political vendettas!
I’m convinced it happened to a friend, involved in a very messy divorce, as the plantiff, where a high profile elected official was involved!
A fish rots from the head…Haley and Keel are the head!
A Grand Jury investigation, no evidence, just what turned out to be false claims.
Wonder how much investigative time lost on real crime and taxpayer money was wasted?
They’ve been doing a lot better, bro. They’ve laid out a few folks (who needed laying out) in recent years. I’m gonna give them the benefit of the doubt and see if they can wrap up Williamsburg, Greenwood, and maybe even one or two “bonus” counties…
Coming Soon — Summer Blockbuster!
LORDS OF THE RING (THE MUSICAL)
The Lords of Black Bush
Can’t a little boy dream big dreams, Pa?
I have no problem with any truly corrupt police official getting their just desserts. You make my point though, that they are only going after those corrupt police officials who operate in small rural counties who are easy pickings. The ones who have the big, mighty, political machines and cabals backing them ALWAYS skate.
I hear you, but I don’t believe that’s necessarily true. It’s been my experience that gov’t officials (especially cops) in BFE backwater areas simply find it easier to get away with their nefarious nonsense due to a general lack of attention from the larger agencies. I think this is gradually changing due to the internet and alternative media, but it’ll take a while before the Greenwoods, Saludas, Unions, Williamsburgs, etc. receive the same as attention as the largest counties like Lexington. The BFE counties aren’t quite a criminally sophisticated, either; even a cursory glance at the lame capers in the counties I listed here demonstrates that. It’s usually just old fashioned thievery and kickbacks.
True!
I will certainly cede this point to you – it usually requires the feds rolling into town if the local corruption is historically well ensconced (as is often the case with longtime sheriffs).
You mean the “free market” won’t magically make it go away through cow patty throwing competitions?
Whoa, there Nellie! Don’t confuse me with the tin-foil hat brigade! I happen to believe that gubmint does some things pretty damn well (like bust up crooked cops).
I’m shaken to the core by this admission of fact by a conservative….
The libertarians would have your little tax-levying commune in San Francisco surrounded by tanks before you could get to the city limits in your Fiat.
“I happen to believe that gubmint does some things pretty damn well (like bust up crooked cops).”
Is this a joke?
so do crooked cops.
“bonus” county coming
Great…bring it on! Who *doesn’t* enjoy the schadenfreude of watching a megalomaniac, crooked sheriff take the fall?
Back in the Larry Gene Bell days, SLED was feared. They had a public presence that is gone today.
Pete Strom also.
They were a different force then. People like big Phil Watkins, Agent Dollard (sp?) from Sumter, and more were a force to be reckoned with. Some years ago I was told, they were offering Agents who did mostly inside duty, payment incentives if they would quit carrying guns. Supposedly this would have saved the agency money they spent to keep those agents trained and certified, or so the story went. W T F????
Fits, thanks for keeping this story going, but I’m not holding my breath. Been hearing this shit for over a year, now. Last year, kept hearing indictments were coming in October and that he would be given the option of resigning or else. Didn’t happen.
In November and December, kept hearing indictments were coming in January and Jimmy would be given the option of resigning or else. Didn’t happen.
I really believe the Toal Cabal or some like entity has the FBI, DOJ, or whoever by the balls. Also, it has been brought to my attention that between his jail being used as a Federal warehouse and his teaching gigs on the side, sometime to FBI agents, Jimmy has enough contacts to keep himself insulated from anything that might be done to him.
The right side of my brain says, “be nice, everyone makes a mistake now and then”
The left side of my brain says, “tell me when, were, what time-I’ll bring the rope”
My whole brain says sprinkle all of ’em with sugar and roast them over an open flame
Fucking Cockroaches
We’re not talking “mistakes” here, Jim. We’re talking career, lifelong, patterns of corruption, malfeasance, and abuse of power.
and obstruction of justice….
Maybe the new Simpsonville police chief will set his eyes on the job. He was fired by the mayor, city administrator and a majority of council while under probabtion. A new majority was voted in, fired the administrator, demoted the current chief to a new position (deputy Chief at the same salary) and re-hired the fired chief. Once he got his job back, and I mean in a matter of days, he presented a contract to the city to give him a raise from 70k to 90k and a 7 year contract (which is illegal) and told them to sign it or he would sue the city for firing him in the first place. What a way to get off on the right foot.
This for a city that has inadequate funds to repair basic infrastructure such as bridges and most importantly the sewer system.
The idiots who were elected are absolutely retarded, can barely form a coherent sentence and are going to destroy the city before they can be ejected. So, if you are passing through the Simpleville, WATCH FOR THE SPEED TRAPS!
“You saw what happened when they took Muammar al-Gaddafi out in Libya, right?”
Turrrissss in Red Bank!!!
Al Qaeda training camps in Gaston!!!
Katyushas from Cayce arcing across the Congaree!!!
My question to you is, why didn’t we invade Florida and take Jeb out for harboring terrorists?
OH NO — Are they getting near to Bub Schumpert Road in Pelion..??
Power goes to folks head and most can not handle it. For Metts to have done this if he did folks in Lexington are as stupid as the average American voter.
Shit’s been going on for decades man, and the sheep go “baaaa”.
Kind of like the idiots who actually believe Lott running CPD would somehow be a good thing for that department, even after his boyz have looted, raped, pillaged, and burned that department for a solid three years and Leon brought back the ringleader with a hug and a cushy job offer when his behavior was about to get him fired from CPD.
The truth about Leon’s ability to run a LE department is clear as day 100 miles away. It’s just some of the Columbia City Council who can’t see.
You’re getting money from Adelson, too, right?
Is this why Trikki has a primary challenger… So that when she and Keel get indicted as part of the cover up, the GOP will have someone up and ready to go?
Hey, Jimmy, they wear pink in Arizona…
Sheriff Joe on line one….
Why do the criminals keep going back to Sheriff Joe’s camps? Because he provides such a colorful existence — blue skies, white clouds, brown sand, green bologna, and pink underwear!
I like the fresh minty smell when he coughs in my face!
Caption:
Sheriff Metts Checks out the New S.W.A.T Uniforms to be Used In The Fight Against Breast Cancer Awareness
A quick and graceful exit should not be allowed. He should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and ,if convicted, he should have to make the time. That is the problem with our justice system. We make too many deals and let the crooks walk out.
Oh, Lord, please let it be. Let the mighty smite fall on those so, so much deserving.
smite thee a Republican, and render his fat into tallow.. three measures of tallow shalt thou render.. and from the tallow thus rendered, and from the soot of oak and the tallow shalt thou makest thee soap.. three bars of soap shalt thou makest.. and from the soap thou hast made, you shall wash off the stink of the Republican you have just rendered.
The water from your washing will be unclean, and thou shalt not allow the female children to play in it, neither allow the male children that pisseth against the wall to play in it – for it is unclean.
The water, and the remaining soap shalt be kept in a shed outside thy domicile and shalt not rest beside any clean thing, or that thing shalt be made unclean by it.
For only thus shalt thou be allowed to remain in the land which I have prepared for thee.. and until the last Republican shall be rendered, ye shall in no way inherit the land I promised to your fathers.
Jeremiah?
Shaniqua in the book of Bezakiah
Berg, of whom it was said smote 200 Republicans with the jawbone of an Tea Party ass in a single smiting, had many sheds, and his sheds were packed to overflowing with the soap from his rendering.
That’s funny shit! No matter who you are!
A lot of people don’t know this, but it’s the origin of the term “extreme rendition.”
Yeah, fuck that graceful exit shit. Impale him on the flagpole that has the Confederate flag on it, so he’s on top of all that “Lost Cause” glory. Let errbody salute THAT, then Video it and make it go viral.
We all shout together at the screen: BUY THE PINK ONE!
The pink jacket was taken from the little girl in the mirror. MATT IS A SCOUNDREL!
How much *is* pomade in Lexington these days?
For two parts that defies gravity, we’re talking heavy duty. That part is lower than Giuliani’s was in the nineties. He must have twenty foot side burns piled on top of his head.
Women probably dream of skating through his hair
I’ll bet he’s a fright in a dark alley with a truncheon.
The Skin head on the left protecting Metts from little girl does all his dark alley jobs.
dark alley jobs
——–
you just had to bring race into this, didn’t you?
I prefer the the use of code words than to answer that directly.
the the
——
aha!
Is that a truncheon or are you just glad to see me?
Out on a limb prediction: The reason the Feds are taking so long is because the case is not just a “Lexington Ring”. It involves multiple counties and states from Missouri to Florida. A lot of cooperative witnesses and plea deals to be struck. Lexington is just a pimple on the butt that grew out of a case that has already forced Florida’s lieutenant governor to resign.
Bob Mosley Sr. And his son-in-law J.Michael Caldwell of Anderson county are accused of money laundering and providing software and management services for gambling parlors in several states (SC included) in exchange for a cut of the profit. I believe this case involved 386 million in confiscated assets. They are cooperating with the Feds and have gotten two 45 day delays in their case. Bob Mosley has even gotten permission to leave the country for vacation while under indictment. They have gotten some confiscated property, including a plane, returned.
What kind of moron goes deep into crime to play a fucking video poker game?
I added a $ in my previous comment. Understand now?
Pornographic video poker sounds like a great idea, except some poor soul’s going to have to wipe down the machine every 5 minutes.
Put a fleshlight in the front of it, and run it into a drain in the floor.
Video poker…
I personally witnessed Mr. Metts having dinner with a poker baron back during the video poker days. He’s shit deep in this.
What is it about South Carolina.. is there something in the water that stunts the growth of neck tissue?
A little late. Not one certified officer in Lexington County has filed to challenge Metts in the June primary. He is up for reelection in 2014. Not one. The acting coroner is automatic Sheriff if he resigns. No challengers for Metts? Challengers whom also have sources? Not one Democrat has filed to run for Sheriff in 2014? WTF?
And what about the 750 video poker machines in a Swansea warehouse? Have the owners been arrested? Are SLED reports sitting on the Solicitor’s desk in either case?
Thomas, you scared the crap out of me, man, about the stuff where Metts is still not challenged. I had to check and found out his next run is 2016, not 2014. Here is an article on two potential challengers that appeared in The State.
http://www.thestate.com/2014/01/24/3224807/2nd-candidate-announces-2016-run.html
I don’t know anything about Kerry but he’s not Jimmy, so he might be a good choice. I had hoped to see Crawford go in, but there is too much talk coming out of CPD that he was seriously in bed with Santiago and his band of merry crooks. If so, that is a complete deal killer on Crawford getting my vote.
You are right. One has to go to Free-Times for any in depth analysis. Free-Times Metts already has two challengers, both Republicans, even though the long-serving Republican will not be up for re-election until 2016. Both are seasoned law enforcement officers who formerly worked in his department. Kerry Johnson joined the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department in 1987 and worked his way to the rank of lieutenant with duties as a region commander. He left the department in 2006 to take a job with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and is now assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division as a Senior Investigator in the Special Victims and Homicide Units. The other candidate is Lt. Jim Crawford, a Columbia native who worked for Metts for 24 years before he took a job in 2012 with the Columbia Police Department, where he serves as a public affairs officer. Crawford began his law enforcement career serving in the U.S. Coast Guard as a drug intervention specialist.
Crawford is leaving CPD……too much corruption, back door racism, politics, and overall gross ineptitude. I just spoke with him yesterday.
The “reason” he may be leaving, according to multiple sources, is that once Santiago was out the door, him and an IA crony who was one of their imports from RCSD were both put back on street duty, the minute their savior and protector Santiago was gone. This move was greeted with cheers by many veteran CPD officers who had been intimidated and pushed around since the Lott regime took over, three years ago. I understand departmental morale took a long overdue jump when those two were put on street duty.
Possibly, but I didn’t see anyone else around the department helping out officers when tragedy would befall upon them. Nor did I see anyone helping to try and right the many wrongs there as much as he did. I left CPD under good terms 6 months ago, so I do have some insight. Anyway, as I always say, go straight to the source- he is not a hard guy to find. And as far as sheriff goes, I have met Johnson- seems okay- just hear crap much like what is posted here, so I have decided to assess him on his merits. Crawford seems like he has a plan and is willing to support men and do a good job. I have never seen his name came up with anything to with either side of the river in a negative manner.
nope its cuz they put his lazy azz back on patrol
Really? Of all the crap going on at CPD and all of the things that man did to promote CPD in a positive light, helped out countless officers, and you say he is lazy? Clearly you must be one of problems there. There is so much racism and dysfunction at the city, “they” are getting rid of anybody that is not home grown cpd- which is exactly why chief #10 since 2007 is stepping in. We all have a pool as to how long he will last- ranging from 8 to 12 months.
The coroner would NOT be the sheriff. If there is less than 1 year left on his term his chief deputy would fill the seat until the general election.. If more than a year, the Governor will appoint a interim sheriff until a special election is held on the 13th Tuesday after the vacancy…
SECTION 23-11-50. Coroner shall act as sheriff during vacancy.
The coroner, during the continuance of any such vacancy occurring as a result of the indictment of the sheriff and until the office is filled by appointment or election, shall assume the office, discharge its duties, incur its liabilities and be entitled to its fees and emoluments. He shall, for such purpose, take charge of the books and papers of the office and occupy the apartment allowed to the sheriff for transacting the business of his office.
kind of hard when Coroner is still in a nursing home
Too bad Frank Barron. We all know you are out there just waiting to get your slimy ass into Harry Harmon’s chair. Stay in Richland County.
Bearer of bad news: “Sheriff Metts, you worthless piece of excrement, you are under arrest!”
Sheriff: “What the Fuck?”
Bearer of bad news: “APRIL FUCKIN’ FOOLS! HA! HA!”
One Ring to rule them all, One ring to find them; One ring to bring them all
and in the darkness bind them.
I refuse to believe this. I cannot believe this. I know of Sheriff Metts and respect and admire him. This just cannot be true. I’m covering my ears and eyes. I am moving on and won’t look at anything else in the papers regarding this “ring”.
You MUST be covering your eyes & ears if you don’t believe Metts is corrupt…or was that sarcasm? Here is what his good buddy Laforce (you know, convicted & served time in prison) posted on Mike Huckabee’s facebook page:
Kermit Laforce
Hi Governor, I met you at the race at
Darlington . David b. is a friend and brought you over to the bus that myself
and sheriff Metts had set up. We all tried to help when you ran. We love your
show and watch every week. Keep up the good work.
1 · Jul 1, 2012
Eww, would this be the same “bus” that Frazier, Knotts & D. Rogers gang banged hookers in? Laforce is GOOD buddies/partners/hangs with all those lowlifes. And those same lowlifes use Metts to engage in their personal vendettas & suspect activities…