Larry Gene Bell was executed in 1996. He was the last inmate to die in South Carolina's electric chair.
Sheriff James Metts is the longest serving Republican elected official in South Carolina, having served since 1975. At the time, South Carolina was still mostly democratic. At the time of his first election, he was the youngest sheriff in the United States. Metts was suspended from office by South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley after being indicted on Federal corruption charges in 2014.
On December 16, 2014, Sheriff James Metts pleaded guilty to charges of corruption and resigned after 42 years in office. He made a deal with federal prosecutors to avoid prison.
Sheriff James Metts has been charged by a federal grand jury in a 10-count indictment.
According to the indictment, Metts accepted bribes from friends in return for using his position and power to interfere with the proper identification and processing of certain illegal aliens detained at the Lexington County Detention Center.
According to the indictment, Metts accepted bribes from friends in return for using his position and power to interfere with the proper identification and processing of certain illegal aliens detained at the Lexington County Detention Center.