Adam Prins

Live Oak City Council President Adam Prins was placed on suspension with pay from his private job due to a written statement by the fire chief that recalled a conversation he had with Prins that caused the fire chief to fear for the mayor’s well being.


Suwannee County Sheriff Tony Cameron said that an internal investigation has been launched into the allegations against Prins, a corrections officer at the jail.


Live Oak Mayor Sonny Nobles distributed the written statement from Fire Chief Chad Croft at the regular city council meeting on March 12. The statement tells of a conversation on Monday, March 11, the fire chief had with Prins that Croft said caused him “grave concern of not only Mayor Nobles’ physical well being, but that of Mr. Prins’ emotional state.”


According to Croft’s statement, Prins told the fire chief he fantasized about beating up the mayor, including picturing “blood and teeth come from his face.”


Croft said the comments, which included obscene references, were made in the courtyard outside of city hall and that he would “testify under oath, subject myself to a lie detector test and or any other means that may be required to prove the validity of this statement.”


Croft said he issued the statement at the request of the mayor. He also confirmed to the Suwannee Democrat that he was the author of the statement.


“The statement in the letter prompted us to do an internal investigation,” said Cameron.


Prins, as reported in Wednesday’s edition, responded that the fire chief’s statement misrepresented his conversation with Croft. In a phone message with the Suwannee Democrat, he added: “I did not say what was written. Politics in the city is at an all-time low and I would hope the city can move forward from this soon.”


Prins said he could not comment due to the ongoing investigation.