Chair-elect Davis talks about ’01 arrest

BEACON PHOTO/PAT ANDREWS
Proclamation — During the Dec. 6 Volusia County Council meeting, Jason Davis asks the County Council’s permission to present a proclamation on the council’s behalf to World War II Pearl Harbor survivors at the Emory L. Bennett Memorial Veterans Nursing Home. County Council members said OK. Dec. 7 was the 71st anniversary of the Japanese attack that brought the United States into World War II.

By Pat Andrews
Beacon Staff Writer

posted Dec 11, 2012 - 6:56:27am

Jason Davis said he isn’t disappointed he wasn’t sworn in as chair of the Volusia County Council Dec. 6, as had been planned. Gov. Rick Scott never signed the paperwork for Davis or newly elected District 4 representative Doug Daniels to be sworn in early to the County Council seats vacated by former Chair Frank Bruno and Member Carl Persis.

Instead, Davis and Daniels will be sworn in during the Thursday, Jan. 10, meeting — on schedule.

Prosecutors dropped all charges against Davis, but his wife at the time, Kelly, went to prison for embezzling more than $50,000 from Mepco of Sanford, the company where she was a bookkeeper, back in 1999. Kelly and Jason Davis have since divorced.

Davis was charged because more than $44,000 of the money went into his personal or business bank accounts.

Davis is sticking by the story he told the State Attorney’s Office at the time — he didn’t know the money was stolen.

He told The Beacon his wife didn’t have a bank account of her own, and used his accounts. Kelly Davis told him the checks were bonuses from her employer, Davis said.

The household and business bills were paid, and things were taken care of, he said. He never suspected anything was afoot.

There was a lengthy and detailed investigation in the case, Jason Davis said, involving forensic audits, handwriting analysis and more.

Kelly Davis eventually pleaded no contest to the charge. The prosecutor dropped the charges against Jason Davis. The couple divorced in the midst of the prosecution.

Kelly Davis was sentenced to five years in prison; she served a little less than that and was released on 20 years’ probation.

That was not Kelly Davis’ only conviction. Later, she was convicted of organized fraud against a subsequent employer.

Now, Jason Davis said, he doesn’t know where his ex-wife is.

He said he had talked to a News-Journal reporter in 2008 about this chapter of his life, when he was running for the District 24 seat in the U.S. Congress.

At that time, no account was ever published, Davis said.

Davis said he saw no need to rehash it during his recent run for county chair. His staff was aware of the case, he said.

Davis, backed by the local Tea Party and other conservative groups, entered the Volusia County chair race as a dark horse in May, but handily defeated veteran County Council Member Carl Persis and well-known Daytona Beach attorney Ted Doran for the seat.

Now, people he’s encountering are very supportive, Davis said.

Aside from the case involving his ex-wife, Davis said he has never had any other brushes with the law.

Davis pointed to his exemplary service during the Gulf War; he’s a Bronze Star recipient.

— pat@beacononlinenews.com

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