Maybe… just maybe in Henry County we can finally say “Frank Cassell has left the building.”
Three years after federal authorities arrested him for allegedly helping clean drug money and lying to an FBI agent.
Three years after handing in his resignation from his lawyer’s downtown Roanoke law office.
Three years since pleading guilty to that charge of lying to a FBI agent, telling a federal judge he was sorry, and beginning an eight month prison sentence.
The sheriff’s office just can’t separate its name from Cassell’s.
A special grand jury report blistered the county’s jail during the final two years of Cassell’s tenure, alleging everything from deputies setting up drug deals, smuggling in cigarettes, having sex with inmates, and some women inmates even “dancing” for some officers.
There’s an allegation of another cover-up—- Cassell stonewalling an internal investigation into one deputy’s behavior at the jail.
Another accusation of Cassell thinking the rules didn’t apply to him—- ignoring a letter from the commonwealth’s attorney outlining concerns three full years before those concerns were outlined in the grand jury report.
Maybe… and finally… this is it.
Cassell’s name won’t come up again in connection with the Henry County sheriff’s office again.
It’s really a shame is what it is.
He seemed such a rock for the community during the early weeks that turned into months of the Short case.
Now it seems many in the community are finding out what they were leaning on during one of the worst times in Henry County’s history.
Posted by Scott Leamon at 07:25 PM. Filed under: leamon •
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