Former Sheriff Metts released from prison, is back at Lexington County home

Former Lexington County sheriff James Metts has been released from federal prison and is now back at his home.

Metts, 69, was not supposed to be released until May, but it is not unusual for inmates with good records to be released a little early. For the time being, he is on home confinement and considered a federal inmate, one of his lawyers, Sherri Lydon, said Thursday.

Metts was sentenced to Butner federal prison complex by U.S. Judge Terry Wooten in North Carolina last April after pleading guilty to one felony charge of conspiring to harbor illegal immigrants. The charge had to do with letting illegal Mexican immigrants out of his jail. Metts reported to prison last June 18 to begin serving a 10-month prison.

At the time Metts was indicted, in June 2014, he had served 42 years as sheriff and was the state’s longest-serving sheriff.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Former Sheriff Metts released from prison, is back at Lexington County home."