Terance Frazier says TJ Cox indictment proves there was ‘no crime’ at Fresno’s Granite Park

After former Congressman TJ Cox was indicted on federal charges Tuesday, the operator of Granite Park is distancing himself from Cox’s business dealings.

Terance Frazier, president of Central Valley Community Sports Foundation, in an interview with The Bee, said the indictment vindicates the park operators and associates. Frazier, through the foundation, operates and leases the park from the city of Fresno.

“This indictment shows there’s no crime at Granite Park,” Frazier said. “This vindicates Granite Park and its associates.”

Cox spent Tuesday in custody at Fresno County Jail and pleaded not guilty in court to 28 charges, including wire fraud, money laundering, financial institution fraud, and campaign contribution fraud.

Among the allegations are that Cox fraudulently obtained a $1.5 million construction loan to develop Granite Park, a long-troubled recreation complex in central Fresno.

Frazier said the indictment was shocking and showed the issues with the loan were between Cox and his partners from another company.

“The indictment of TJ Cox announced yesterday by the U.S. Attorney paints a very sad and unfortunate picture of one man’s dealings with his business partners, family and friends,” Frazier said.

He also said he wanted to clarify that he and Cox were never business partners. Rather, they both served “in a volunteer capacity” together on the board for the foundation. After Cox was elected to Congress, he quit serving on the board in 2019.

Frazier said he’s committed to continuing the work at Granite Park.

“My volunteer role with the foundation is and always has been to improve Granite Park, to operate the park within the very meager financial constraints created by the city of Fresno, and to make it available as a public recreational facility to over 300,000 visitors annually,” Frazier said.

“As the allegations of the indictments have become known, they are just as shocking to me, to the board of the foundation and to the many volunteers and employees who work tirelessly to keep Granite Park open and operating,” he said. “Even so, our duty is to continue to operate Granite Park and to improve where we can for all the citizens of Fresno. All of us at Granite Park are committed to that goal.”

Officials with the city of Fresno declined to comment.

Fraudulent loan

According to the indictment, Cox and Frazier were reportedly unable to qualify for a construction loan without a financially viable third party to guarantee the loan, according to federal officials.

“Cox falsely represented that one of his affiliated companies would guarantee the loan,” according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert’s office, “and submitted a fabricated board resolution which falsely stated … that all company owners agreed to participate in the Granite Park loan.”

Federal officials said there was no board meeting and that other owners of the company did not agree to back the loan. That loan eventually ended up in default, creating a financial loss of almost $1.3 million to the lender.

FBI investigation

Earlier this year, Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp said in a news release that the FBI was investigating Granite Park’s operations.

Smittcamp provided few details but said her office “handed over” an investigation to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Smittcamp said federal authorities wanted to handle the investigation because “one of the potential involved parties was a sitting Congressman in the United States House of Representatives,” referring to Cox, who was in office in 2019.

Frazier has maintained since 2019 that he did nothing wrong. Frazier said, since 2019, he has not been contacted by any law enforcement agency regarding the operations of Granite Park.

The controversy over Granite Park began in 2019 when a city audit found a number of problems with the accounting of park finances. At the time, Cox served on the foundation board.

Over time, both Frazier and Cox opened up about the issue, agreeing to do multiple lengthy interviews with The Bee and providing accounting records they say negate allegations in the audit.

Frazier currently has an ongoing lawsuit against the city over Granite Park. In the lawsuit, he alleges former city officials discriminated against and defamed Frazier by prematurely releasing the audit. A federal judge dismissed the discrimination claim but granted the defamation claim to move forward.

The Granite Park conflict is politically charged because of Cox’s former involvement and because of Frazier’s personal relationship with Fresno City Councilmember Esmeralda Soria, who now is running for state assembly. Soria has recused herself from any city votes related to Granite Park or Frazier’s other developments.