Inside Room 22

TIMELINE: David Frost

young Michael Jefferson
According to his family, young Mike Danton dreamed of becoming an NHL player.

1991: Ten-year-old Michael Jefferson and his father Steve Jefferson meet David Frost, a 25-year-old minor league hockey coach at a summer hockey tournament in the Toronto area.

1992: Bob Goodenow becomes Executive Director of the National Hockey League Player's Association.

1995-96: David Frost is the coach of the Toronto Young Nationals team that goes on to win the all Ontario Bantam Championship. On the team are Mike Jefferson, Sheldon Keefe, and Joe Goodenow, the son of Bob Goodenow, influential head of the NHLPA.

Although he has no official role on the team, he is David Frost's right hand man - banning parents from the dressing room and even running some of the practices.

1996: The Metropolitan Toronto Hockey League (now the Greater Toronto Hockey League) suspends David Frost. He allegedly forged the general manager's signature on some player release forms, including Mike Jefferson's. Frost was given the opportunity to appeal the accusation but never did.

Fall 1996: David Frost assumes the role of assistant coach with the Quinte Hawks of the Metro Junior 'A' Hockey League in Deseronto, Ontario. Within a short time he's coaching the team.

April 1997: David Frost pleads guilty to assaulting one of his junior players Darryl Tiveron. As the 20 year-old player skated to the bench during a Quinte Hawks hockey game, Frost grabbed him by the sweater and punched him in the mouth.

A judge later granted David Frost a conditional discharge and placed him on 12 months probation. He was also ordered to make a $250 charitable donation.

January, 1999: Mike Jefferson, Sheldon Keefe, Shawn Cation and Ryan Barnes are traded to the Barrie Colts as part of an eight-player trade.

June 24, 2000: Mike Jefferson is drafted into the NHL. Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils select him in the 5th round, 135th overall.

Summer 2000: Thirteen year-old Tom Jefferson visits his brother Mike, David Frost, and others at a cottage north of Kingston. Tom comes home troubled.

June 20, 2001: Steve and Sue Jefferson obtain photos of their youngest son Tom. They bring the photos to the attention of Dr. Brian Shaw, psychologist for the NHLPA. He in turn brings the photographs to the attention of the Children's Aid Society and the Ontario Provincial Police.

Photos show Frost pointing a rifle at their then thirteen year-old son. Another photo shows young Tom duct-taped naked to the back of a bunk bed.

The photographs spark a police investigation into allegations of abuse. Frost and five witnesses say the "initiation" was the boy's idea. They also say the boy's version of events is completely false.

The investigation is dropped, but Tom Jefferson sticks to his story.

Danton's parents
Sue Jefferson denies claims that their son Michael was abused at home. "We raised our kids, we loved them. We put them into sports, kept them off the streets. Gave them a future. There was no abuse."

July 2002: Mike Jefferson legally changes his name to Michael Sage Danton.

David Frost later told the media that Mike Jefferson changed his name to Danton to officially separate himself from his family.

David Frost is certified by the NHLPA to be a player agent.

June 21, 2003: New Jersey Devils trade Danton to St. Louis Blues.

Sheldon Keefe and Mike Danton purchase the Junior A hockey team Pembroke Lumber Kings.

March 2004: Mike Danton first meets Katie Wolfmeyer at the St. Louis - Ice Zone skating rink. The Blues use the arena for practice. Katie Wolfmeyer works there as a kid's skating instructor.

Ron Jones, a bouncer at a strip club located in East St. Louis, meets Mike Danton. While frequenting the club, Danton gives Ron Jones hockey tickets to St. Louis Blues games.

At one point Danton asks Ron Jones if he wants to make $10,000. Danton explains that he owes his agent David Frost $25,000 and he wants him killed. Danton gives Jones a photograph of Frost. Jones declines the offer and later starts receiving phone calls from Danton.

Ron Jones
Ron Jones, a bouncer at a strip club received phone calls from Danton about killing Frost but ignored them.

April 13, 2004: Danton calls Ron Jones and leaves a message saying that he will call him before the game and "…we can get some things taken care of." See the FBI transcript of the calls (.pdf file)

St. Louis: Game #4 of NHL playoff series with San Jose. Danton scores a goal, but the Blues lose 4-3.

Katie Wolfmeyer is seen at the game wearing a " We Want Danton" T-shirt.

April 14, 2004: Danton is in San Jose, California. He again phones Ron Jones and leaves another message: "Wondering what went on last night….if you can't do this let me know so that I can try to find another way to do this because uh, it's getting real serious …It's a matter of life or death for me." Ron Jones does not respond.

Katie Wolfmeyer, gets a call from Danton in San Jose, California. Danton tells her that someone is coming from Canada to kill him and asks if she knows someone who can do him a favour.

Katie Wolfmeyer
Katie Wolfmeyer was a fan and one of Danton's girlfriends.

Katie asks Justin Levi Jones, a (police dispatcher with the Columbia Police Department in southern Illinois) if he would be interested. Levi Jones, who had just met Katie that night, says he might be able to help.

Danton tells Levi Jones that an individual from Canada, a "hitman", is coming to kill him (Danton) over a money debt. Danton tells Justin Levi Jones that he needs this person taken care of.

Danton wants the murder to be done at his residence: "…and that way he's there. I'll know it's taken care of because when I come back, obviously I'll see him there." Danton offers Levi Jones $10,000 to perform the hit. (Read more of the interview with Levi Jones)

April 15, 2004: Levi Jones relates the story to the chief of police who calls in the FBI. The FBI talk to Justin who agrees to co-operate with the investigation. He is wired and given a disabled gun to look like a professional hit man.

He is sent to meet Katie Wolfmeyer who will guide him to Mike Danton's apartment to carry out the planned murder.

When Katie Wolfmeyer delivers Levi Jones to Danton's apartment, the FBI has what it needs. At a pre-arranged spot, FBI agents surround the car and arrest Katie Wolfmeyer for conspiring with Mike Danton to arrange a murder. (Read more of the interview with FBI agent John Jimenez)

Mike Danton
A mug shot of Mike Danton after his arrest.

April 16, 2004: That morning Mike Danton is about to board a flight from San Jose to St. Louis when he is arrested by FBI.

David Frost denies that he was the intended target and blames Mike's troubles on what he claims is a problem childhood.

April 29, 2004: Katie Wolfmeyer pleads not guilty.

May 4, 2004: Danton initially pleads not guilty to charges that he allegedly conspired to set up a murder-for-hire plot.

May 7, 2004: Wolfmeyer, like Danton, faces charges of plotting a murder-for-hire. She is free on $100,000 bail US pending a trial.

July 16, 2004: Mike Danton changes his plea to guilty in the murder-for-hire plot.

September 19, 2004: Jury acquits Katie Wolfmeyer of charges that she took part in the conspiracy plot.

Danton's parents
Sue Jefferson, Mike Danton's mother believes that her son hired a hit man to kill David Frost "to be free, to have a life of his own".

November 8, 2004: Mike Danton is sentenced to 7 ½ years in prison . U.S. District judge William Stiehl say: "I do not believe in over 18 years on the bench I have been faced with a case as bizarre as this one."

Later, Mike Danton is transferred to Fort Dix, New Jersey, one of the largest federal penitentiaries in the United States.

An application is made to have Danton transferred to a Canadian prison to serve some part of his sentence.

July 2005: Bob Goodenow steps down as NHLPA boss.

December 2005: David Frost resigned as NHLPA player agent.

March 24, 2006: U.S. government rejects Mike Danton's request to be transferred to his native Canada.

April 2006: Frost tells the Pembroke Observer he is retiring and will no longer be around the Pembroke Lumber Kings.

August 22, 2006: David Frost is arrested and charged with 12 counts of sexual exploitation and one count of assault. (see the OPP press release)

March 2007: The Crown withdraws 6 of the sexual exploitation charges and the one assault charge against David Frost. The Crown reconfigures the remaining charges so that now seven charges remain outstanding.

David Frost
David Frost walking on a Kingston, Ont. street.

March 2007: David Frost is charged with fraud after he used Mike Danton’s credit card to buy $90 worth of gas at a gas station in Kingston.

Late November/December 2007: Defence attorney, Michael Edelson withdraws from the case. Marie Henein assumes the role of Defence Counsel for David Frost.

May 2008: David Frost's new defence team attempt to have the remaining seven charges of sexual exploitation against him dropped. His lawyer, Marie Henein, argues that the charges should be stayed because David Frost's right to be tried within a reasonable amount time has been violated.

July 2008: A hearing is conducted. Within weeks The Honourable Mr. Justice G. J. Griffin rules to dismisses the defence application. David Frost’s trial is set to proceed on October 14, 2008.

August 2008: The Crown withdraws three of the remaining seven charges. David Frost now faces four outstanding charges dealing with sexual exploitation.

Under his bail conditions in place since August 2006, Frost has been required to remain in the province of Ontario. He requests this to be changed so he may accompany his client Adam Keefe to attend the NHL Phoenix Coyotes’ training camp. The Honourable Justice Griffin grants his request.

Another bail condition requires that David Frost have no contact with Mike Danton, who is presently serving the last two years of his sentence in the federal prison in Sandstone, Minnesota. Frost requests that this condition be lifted. The Honourable Justice Griffin denies the request.

October 14, 2008: David Frost’s sexual exploitation trial is scheduled to begin in the Provincial Courthouse in Napanee, Ontario.

December 4, 2008: David Frost is scheduled to appear in a Kingston court charged with fraud for allegedly using Mike Danton’s credit car to buy gas.