SC

No Jail Time For “Lexington Ring” Members

DANNY FRAZIER, JASON AMODIO AVOID PRISON Ah, “South Carolina justice …” You gotta love it … assuming you’re a corrupt public official.  If you’re a citizen expecting equal justice … eh, not so much. Former Lexington, S.C. town councilman Danny Frazier and former South Congaree, S.C. police chief Jason Amodio both…

DANNY FRAZIER, JASON AMODIO AVOID PRISON

Ah, “South Carolina justice …”

You gotta love it … assuming you’re a corrupt public official.  If you’re a citizen expecting equal justice … eh, not so much.

Former Lexington, S.C. town councilman Danny Frazier and former South Congaree, S.C. police chief Jason Amodio both received no jail time on state corruption charges related to their involvement in the “Lexington Ring” – a cabal of corrupt politicians and crooked cops accused of running all manner of illegal enterprises in the Midlands region of the state.

For his starring role in the scam, Frazier received a $10,000 fine, five years probation, and 400 hours of community service.

Amodio – who already pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators earlier this year – got four years of probation and eight months of home confinement, but his state sentence was set to overlap with the one he received from the feds.

Earlier this year former Lexington County sheriff James Metts reported to a medium security federal prison in North Carolina to begin serving his one-year prison sentence on corruption charges related to the probe.

Is all this a bit of a let-down?

Sure seems so … especially in light of some of the connections between ring members and hardened criminals.

Frazier was surreptitiously recorded detailing the inner workings of the ring to a prospective client.  These recordings were turned over to the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) by a former member of the ring – an ex-magistrate who claims he once issued favorable rulings from the bench on behalf of the organization.

Unfortunately, SLED’s investigation went nowhere – and federal anti-corruption agents were forced to step in and advance the case.

Amodio?  He was accused by the state of accepting payment “in return for seized gaming machines” – one of several illicit enterprises reportedly operated by ring leaders.

According to prosecutors, both men got leniency because they cooperated with investigations.  But it’s not immediately clear whether that’s a reference to the probe that put Metts behind bars or an ongoing investigation.

We can only hope it is the latter …

Also it’s worth noting Metts almost got a sweetheart deal, too.

This website relentlessly exposed the ring during 2012-13 – hoping there would be some real accountability brought to bear on those involved in this wide-ranging betrayal of the public trust.

We should have known not to get our hopes up …

After all this is South Carolina … where no bad deeds go punished.

***

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70 comments

Speak D Truth October 15, 2015 at 3:01 pm

I guess they aren’t going to tell the rest of the story. Briebart and Metts are the only two that got jail time.

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CorruptionInColumbia October 15, 2015 at 3:03 pm

And piss little, at that!

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GrandTango October 15, 2015 at 4:39 pm

Did someone say piss? Where?!

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CorruptionInColumbia October 15, 2015 at 3:02 pm

Who says that crime doesn’t pay? What a joke! I wonder if the prodecutor(s) and judge’s wallets are a little fatter, today.

About a week ago, I was in a Lexington Starbucks, waiting to give my order. This huge, porcine, man and his rather hefty female companion were ahead of me. I recall the guy, who looked oddly familiar, kept up this continuous and unnecessary chatter with the barristas, totally oblivious or otherwise not giving a damn, that there were people behind him who would have liked to give their order, too.

I was beginning to think this jerk would never shut the hell up and move on down where you pick up your order. It finally hit me that this self-important jackass was either Danny Frazier or his twin brother. He seems partial to those light blue shirts.

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Sic Semper Tyrannis October 15, 2015 at 3:14 pm

Waffle house, starbucks, how much caffeine do you intake per day ?

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CorruptionInColumbia October 15, 2015 at 3:15 pm

As much as possible! It does a body good!

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Bible Thumper October 15, 2015 at 3:19 pm

Waffle House, Starbucks ! That’s cultural diversity…

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9" October 15, 2015 at 3:50 pm

spelling.minus one point-AWFUL House

Mike at the Beach October 16, 2015 at 12:19 am

Or (as we like to say here in the Redneck Riviera), the “Awful Waffle.”

Mike at the Beach October 16, 2015 at 12:19 am

Yin and yang, that…

Caffeinated Grease October 15, 2015 at 3:46 pm

I think we have a new product idea.

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CorruptionInColumbia October 15, 2015 at 3:47 pm

Damn skippy!!!! The caffeine keeps your heart pumping and the grease lubes the insides of your arteries to keep the blood flowing smoothly.

Deal me in!!!!

Tazmaniac October 15, 2015 at 3:56 pm

I prefer WH rather than Denny’s or IHOP. The dining area is much smaller so nearly all the fist fights and shootouts occur in the parking lot.

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CorruptionInColumbia October 15, 2015 at 3:57 pm

Good reasoning, Taz! I’ll keep that in mind in the future when trying to kill a case of the munchies.

Squishy123 October 15, 2015 at 5:32 pm

Plus the darkies don’t like to go to Waffle House, they prefer to dine at the upscale IHOP.

Waverunning October 15, 2015 at 3:57 pm

Fat Danny’s brother Billy died a year ago. You may have seen Jakie Knotts. He and Fat Danny bear a resemblance.

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CorruptionInColumbia October 15, 2015 at 3:59 pm

This had to be Danny, then. I’ve seen Jake up close a few times so I know it wasn’t him.

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jimlewisowb October 15, 2015 at 3:19 pm

Fuckin’ Cockroaches

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Bernadette Pinter October 16, 2015 at 1:24 am

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Quietus October 15, 2015 at 3:23 pm

Nothing unexpected here.

I think we were better off under the “Good Ole Boy” system, where everyone knew it was corrupt and how to work through it (much like Eastern Europe or Russia currently). Rather than pretending everything is on the up and up and then having show trials and small pentances that likely never get paid or get paid out of the earned corrupt money. It would surely be cheaper for the taxpayer in the long run. These investigations and trials for show are expensive.

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flip October 15, 2015 at 4:33 pm

Good description of the corrupt Obama administration and that ‘system’.

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Sic Semper Tyrannis October 15, 2015 at 5:22 pm

I never thought about it that way. Good point.

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Thomas October 15, 2015 at 3:30 pm

Who was the Judge? Who were the Prosecutors?

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From Jamie Lucas' family October 16, 2015 at 2:50 pm

Thomas, thank you for recognizing our family member Jamie Lucas for his contribution on ensuring this case and others did get some justice. For over 13 years we question Jamie why did he keep pushing and investigating something that obviously law enforcement just willfully ignoring. His simple reply was the same, there are good people out there that deserved to know what length law enforcement and politians would go to keep this hidden while they continued to victimize anyone who would not go along with them. It is individuals like you Thomas is why Jamie refused to give up the fight to get the information about these corrupt people and either make law enforcement do what should have been done a long time ago and keep good people from falling victim of these people. So from our family, thank you Thomas and everyone for standing behind Jamie through this and he and his family continues to live life.

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Soft Sigh from Hell October 16, 2015 at 4:27 pm

Thank You and Yours

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King-tut October 17, 2015 at 1:43 pm

Jamie was living it up when he was in tight with Danny, Jason, et all…..and that includes Robert J. It wasn’t until he fell from “grace” was when he decided to become a saint. I wouldn’t beat your chest to loudely. There is no loyalty among scumbags!

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CorruptionInColumbia October 18, 2015 at 5:56 pm

It has been a while since I read his sworn statement, but I could only imagine the discomfort he might have felt being at that cop party near Orangeburg, with the prostitutes brought by the retired SLED agent, Jake running around naked and all.

It really sounded as though this young, inexperienced guy was being promoted to levels he never dreamed of by people he once thought were good and were friends, when they were actually using him and endangering his reputation in the process.

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Soft Sigh from Hell October 17, 2015 at 1:50 pm

The Lexington Ring is a “rat king.” (Google it in Images.)

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King-tut October 15, 2015 at 3:31 pm

Maybe Kingfish will run for his old Town Council seat in the next election. What was he charged with? Is he a convicted felon?

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King-tut October 15, 2015 at 4:43 pm

He has the vote! Time to cash in for fixing all those speeding ……..! Need money for a fine and your vote….Time to pay up!! Everyone on his FaceBook friends list should be ashamed!

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Waverunning October 15, 2015 at 3:48 pm

Said it in a post yesterday. . . .ain’t nothin’ gonna happen to Frazier or anyone else in this so-called “ring.” It’s one big joke that has kept Rednexington insiders laughing for over a year now and the lesson to all is you can thumb your nose to the “law” in Rednexington and nothing’s happening to you. I hear Metts even has Jimmy Jones’ ministry paying his fine when he gets out and I bet Frazier gets someone to pick his up too. All those many posters on FitsNews accusing Peeler, Halfacre, Knotts, Tyndall, Timmy James, Jeffcoat, and others with various misdeeds can now just STFU because nobody’s paying any attention and nobody’s doing any time. This story has run its course. Those morons in Lex who keep electing that idiot Joe Wilson will probably eventually elect Danny Frazier to state house. Hell, he’ll probably get appointed to some cush state job down the road. Don’t count it out.

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CorruptionInColumbia October 15, 2015 at 3:51 pm

Damn sure is starting to look that way. The Queen Mother of Corruption in SC, Jean Toal, looks after her flock.

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Thomas October 16, 2015 at 2:58 am

And they will bend space and time to make Gowdy our Chief Justice?
If Beatty had any grit, he would take what he has earned.

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Max October 15, 2015 at 4:25 pm

It is funny you say that about danny working road construction because Danny is working as a dump truck driver for an asphalt company. So you are not too far from the truth on that. But rest assure, Danny Frazier will be scamming people of their money to pay his fine.

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Speak D Truth October 15, 2015 at 10:04 pm

I guess he can’t sell rezoning approvals anymore since he isn’t on town council.

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Max October 17, 2015 at 12:52 am

He is a convicted criminal. Selling resigning approvals is one of his new scams using his new LLC, kingfish consulting group.

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Speak D Truth October 17, 2015 at 9:04 am

I have heard for years that he did that using his position on town council.

Lone Ranger October 15, 2015 at 4:10 pm

All-day suckers get precisely what they deserve and let’s (again) explain to y’all why
Your payday-grubbing, flag-ripping w/o your vote Legislature…best money can buy !!!

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flip October 15, 2015 at 4:33 pm

Haley is a goddess, she was right to take down that flag. God bless Haley!

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Lone Ranger October 15, 2015 at 6:45 pm

flip got ripped because he failed to take the tip that SC legislators are riding into 2016 as the walking dead
But now he DOES want you to keep paying his SNAP and Section 8–loves that governMENT bread !!!

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corruptedMindInColumbia October 15, 2015 at 4:39 pm

Damn.I am pissed.No jail time.EVERYBODY is corrupt.My dad,mom,brothers and sisters are ALL corrupt and felons!Law breakers.Nobody is honest but me!Saw a baby take a loli-pop at the Waffle House the other day and NOT put a quarter in that box.I called SLED.Teach em young!
I promise all of you Boz and I will get to the bottom of ALL this corruption in SC.I just bought a new track phone with extra minutes and Boz says he found a CB radio at Goodwill.
Stay tuned!

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CorruptionInColumbia October 15, 2015 at 4:44 pm

Good afternoon, little troll. I figured you would show up on this thread. I’m sure it is happy news for you that you and/or your family and/or friends fared so well in “court” today.

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Lone Ranger October 15, 2015 at 6:48 pm

corruptionincolumbia voted 20 times for Lindsey Grahamnesty because RINOs are his thing
Never told the truth about his being a Dimwit but the elections of 2016 will make his head ring !!!

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CorruptionInColumbia October 16, 2015 at 1:35 am

Wrong! I voted against that POS each time I have aeen him on my ballot.

bc October 15, 2015 at 4:10 pm

Contraire, mes amies. The best is yet to come. Pretty sure Danny threw everybody under the bus. Count on it.

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CorruptionInColumbia October 15, 2015 at 4:17 pm

We can only hope! The prosecutors seem to love using that “cooperation” line of bs as an excuse to not prosecute or to otherwise release the undeserving before their sentence is up.

Anyone else remember them releasing that skank that was behind the Sponseller suicide, using the “cooperation” line? She got nothing of a sentence to begin with, and it was reduced even further supposefly due to her “cooperation”.

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Max October 15, 2015 at 5:23 pm

Looked Danny Frazier up on the South Carolina secretary state office for LLC, King fish and found that Danny R. Frazier is the registered agent of service for Kingfish Consulting group, LLC. It has kingfish consulting as a for profit organization and was filled on April 29, 2015.

I am sure this is a bogus company he has set up to laundry his money or he is hiding behind this LLC so after he scams people out of their money and sue his ass, he can file bankruptcy.

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TARevolution October 15, 2015 at 5:26 pm

FITS Main Man, ‘Pootlian, got em off.

Hire a Democrat Trial Lawyer, and the guilty Walk Free.

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Quietus October 15, 2015 at 8:01 pm

You know I remember when Mr. Harpootlian was the Solicitor. As I remember he sent several people to the needle/chair.

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Squishy123 October 15, 2015 at 5:29 pm

I doubt anyone is surprised. Frazier may have received jail time if he wouldn’t have started singing like a canary.

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Max October 15, 2015 at 5:35 pm

Well people he ended up screwing out of money and ruining good peoples lives for his and others enjoyment or personal gain knew they could not trust his corrupt fat ass, but know the very same corrupt people he helped can’t trust him after he was so fast to talk against them.

So now Danny you are out there by yourself and NO ONE that will ever trust you. Even the criminal and unethical don’t trust you.

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Squishy123 October 15, 2015 at 7:47 pm

He’ll drop dead from a health related issue before he’s off probation. The guy’s a walking heart attack.

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CorruptionInColumbia October 16, 2015 at 1:33 am

Not people like that. He’ll live forever. That kind of stuff only happens to good people.

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Todd October 15, 2015 at 8:48 pm

And boss hog?

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Queen Jean October 15, 2015 at 11:15 pm

i did my job, Jakie and Jahue. I told you I was and am that powerful.

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SoCongCitizen October 16, 2015 at 8:40 am

Maybe they will let Danny Frazier do his Community Service in South Congaree being that him and that piece of crap Jason Amodio made so much money here. I would love to see his behind picking up trash in town.

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Squishy123 October 16, 2015 at 8:52 pm

Danny will do his community service with someone who will still speak with him and will likely sign off on his 400 hours by the end of the week. Danny isn’t bothered by this in the least, he’s probably boozing it up with one of his buddies laughing about how he got one over on the judge.

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doublestandards October 16, 2015 at 11:10 pm

Ha! I said the same. Can you do community service at a bar????

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Pissed off voter October 16, 2015 at 3:43 pm

“When I walk down the street, and see people, and know what I used to be, and what I am now, it hurts,” Frazier, gulping back tears, told the judge. “What I did was wrong.”

Danny Frazier you are a big fat tub of lying shit and you always will be. You are a con who scams people out of money and a corrupt shit-leech. Watching you use the death of your brother, mother and mother-in-law was a complete disgrace but I didn’t expect anything else from a douch like you.

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Soft Sigh from Hell October 16, 2015 at 5:07 pm

Two-legged vermin. Gnawers and scurriers. Plague carriers. If they had tails they wouldn’t be barbed, they’d be naked.

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Soft Sigh from Hell October 16, 2015 at 5:29 pm

Still and all, if we could just get one of them into the slammer I’m glad it was Jailbird Jimmy.

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Soft Sigh from Hell October 16, 2015 at 5:36 pm

We could probably heat the former James Metts Judicial Building this winter with the searing hate ol’ Jailbird Jimmy generates at the mere mention of Danny boy.

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Manray9 October 16, 2015 at 5:37 pm

Jail time? Here? What a joke.

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doublestandards October 16, 2015 at 11:08 pm

Lexington County corruption. Still alive and well. Sneaking in Coroner’s office to take pictures just a month ago. Claimed over a cat. Jeffcoat and Mergo must be related to Frazier or somebody. I have not lived here long but it didnt take long to learn the players. Saw a name I didnt recognize. Tim James? Isnt he gone?

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CorruptionInColumbia October 17, 2015 at 9:37 am

Can you tell us more, like which one did that? If not, thanks for sharing, anyway. Sounds interesting!

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doublestandards October 18, 2015 at 3:49 pm

The County Administrator sent people in to take pictures while office was closed. Claims over a cat. Good excuse to snoop if you ask me. She asked for him to be fired. Now that I know the players it makes more sense. Everybody dirty is related to everybody dirty.

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CorruptionInColumbia October 18, 2015 at 5:49 pm

That is interesting! Thank you for sharing. It sounds as though new door locks and keys may be in order for the Coroner’s Office.

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Kung-tut October 17, 2015 at 1:38 pm

Mergo is Nikki Setzler’s son in-law, and former aid to Bruce Rutland. They all ran in the same circle with these dirtbags.

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Waverunning October 18, 2015 at 6:22 pm

Mergo’s gotta have dirt on a majority of Lexington County Council to get away with the shit that he gets away with. Since when does the county administrator have any authority over elected officials such as he coroner? I hear Coroner Fisher is fed up with Mergo’s meddling in her office and the break-in in the early morning hours was the last straw so she demanded Mergo be fired and he should be! However Jeffcoat and his cabal of course protect Mergo out of fear of Daddy in law Setzler. if Mergo had broken into Koon’s office or the Solicitor’s office he’d be gone in a New York second. SLED should investigate this guy and the spineless wimps on county council need to put him in his place.

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King-tut October 19, 2015 at 7:54 am

My question is what qualifications does Mergo have other then being the babies daddy to Setzler’s (Democrat) grandchildren to become county administrator? I thought Lexington was a republican county. He went from being Bruce Rutland’s bat-boy to Codes Enforcement Administrator to County Administrator. Didn’t Jeffcoat’s son become a town judge? What a tangled web…..

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