Restaurateur Who Brought Down Sheriff Charged With Murder

LEXINGTON, S.C. (WOLO) — Officials with the Lexington Police Department say an arrest has been made in the fatal shooting of a man Sunday night.

Authorities say Gregorio Leon is charged with murder, attempted murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.

When officers arrived to a park-and-ride lot on River Chase Drive, police found a man dead.

The victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds, officials say.

Leon, a former restaurateur whose bribes to keep his workers in the county illegally helped bring down former Lexington County sheriff James Metts.

Federal prosecutors say Leon paid bribes to a man connected to the former sheriff  to keep employees from the Mexican food restaurant from being deported when arrested on minor offenses.

Metts pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 months in prison.

It wasn’t known if Leon had a lawyer.

AP contributed to this report.