Former South Carolina Congaree Chief of Police Pleads Guilty to Lying to Federal Grand Jury

Contact Person: Jay Richardson (803) 929-3000

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Jason Amodio (46) of Lexington, South Carolina has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Columbia, to Lying to a Federal Grand Jury, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1623. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. of Columbia accepted the guilty plea.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that during a joint federal and state investigation into illegal gambling, extortion under color of law, mail and wire fraud, and related public corruption in Lexington County, Amodio appeared before a federal grand jury. Asked about the purpose of a particular check payable to Amodio, Amodio claimed that the check was a loan. In fact, Amodio knew this was false and that the check was an improper payment from an attorney in Lexington. Amodio had assisted in convincing a family to hire that attorney to file a civil lawsuit after a car wreck had left one member of the family dead and one injured. When the attorney received a fee in return for his representation, that attorney then paid Amodio through an intermediary.

“Mr. Amodio went before the federal grand jury, swore on the Bible to tell the truth, and lied; that is a crime,” said United States Attorney Bill Nettles. “This is another joint investigation by the S.C. Attorney General’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with the FBI and SLED, in our ongoing coordinated partnership to prosecute public corruption on all levels.”

As part of his agreement to plead guilty and cooperate with law enforcement, Amodio agreed to be sentenced to four years of probation with eight months of home confinement with electronic monitoring. Additionally, Amodio has agreed to plead guilty in state court to misconduct in office. This case is part of a joint investigation of the FBI, SLED, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and the United States Attorney’s Office into public corruption and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jay N. Richardson and Jim H. May and Assistant Deputy Attorney General Creighton Waters.