Press Release — Bedford County Sheriff's Office in Virginia

Time Sensitive – Business Scam Where Callers Pretend to be AEP

02/24/15

Press Release
February 24, 2015

Sheriff Brown is providing the following information in reference to a ‘scam ‘ being perpetuated against businesses in our area.

The business owner receives a call from 866-978-8143 from a person alleging that they were calling from AEP and asking for payments of large amounts, $1,000.00 to $1,400.00, for ‘balance owed’ or, they would ‘cut off’ the power to the business. The first person to speak did not have an accent, but passed off the customer to a woman with an accent…Far East accent or similar and asking that the amount owed be ‘wired’ to ‘powerreloadit’

If you receive this type of call DO NOT PAY! But, call AEP to register the call and ask if, in fact, your business does have a ‘balanced owed.’

While we only have businesses reporting this ‘scam’ households should also be alert to this newest, in this area, ‘scam.’ Probably because of the severe cold weather and snow we are experiencing.

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Search Warrant Results in Methamphetamine Arrest

02/13/15

Press Release
February 13, 2014

Bedford County Sheriff’s Investigators and Virginia State Police executed a search warrant at 5575 Jordantown Rd. in Bedford County that resulted in the arrest of two Bedford County residents on drug related charges.

Bedford County Investigators initiated an investigation into illegal activities at 5575 Jordontown Road in Vinton, VA. During this investigation, Investigators found evidence that the narcotics, specifically Methamphetamine, were being manufactured at the home.

On February 12, 2014, Sheriff’s Office Investigators, members of the Drug Enforcement Section of the State Police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Virginia State Police Tactical Team executed a search warrant at this residence. An explosion occurred at the residence when the officers made entry. Officers located Joshua Kelley and Crystal Hiner inside and took them into custody. The explosion injured no one and all occupants were safely evacuated from the home.

Joshua Kelly was arrested for the distribution and manufacture of Methamphetamine. Crystal Hiner was arrested for possession of Schedule II narcotic. Both were transported to the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority in Bedford. Upon assessment, an active Methamphetamine lab was located in the garage of the residence and the State Police Clandestine Methamphetamine Laboratory team was able to dismantle it.

Joshua Caleb Kelley, 38 years of age, of 5575 Jordontown Rd., Vinton VA. was arrested on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine and one count of Manufacturing Methamphetamine. He is currently being held without a bond.

Crystal Nebula Hiner, 36 years of age, of 5575 Jordontown Rd., Vinton VA. was arrested on one count of Possession of Schedule II Narcotic. She is being held on a secured bond.

Other occupants were located during the execution of the search warrant and additional charges are being reviewed.

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Woman Charged with Felonious Malicious Wounding and the Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony

02/09/15

Gretchen S. Bennett

Bedford County 911 dispatchers received call at 8:50 p.m. Friday evening from a 131 Big Bear Run Vinton, Va., which is located in Bedford Co. The caller stated that he and his ex-wife, Gretchen Bennett, age 53, had an argument over the phone earlier in the day. He said she showed up at his home with a gun and shot him in his lower leg. He was able to get the gun away from her and advised he was holding her down until the deputies arrived on the scene. The victim was transported to Roanoke Memorial Hospital by ambulance. Gretchen S. Bennett, Wews Hill Road, Roanoke, Va., was arrested at the scene and charged with Felonious Malicious Wounding and the use of a firearm in commission of a felony. She was transported to the Bedford Adult Detention Center and was held without bond.

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Residential Fire at Saber Court in Forest Results in One Fatality

01/09/15

January 9, 2015

At 4:38am a call was received for a residential fire at 1152 Saber Court, Forest Va caller advising there were flames showing from the neighbors home, unknown if residence was occupied. Crews from Forest Fire Department, Bedford Fire Company, Bedford County Fire & Rescue, Goode Rescue Squad responded. Upon arrival crews found a residential mobile home with heavy fire noted. The fire was under control at 5:21 am with one fatality. The victim has been transported to the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Roanoke. The cause of the fire at this time is under investigation by Bedford County Fire and Rescue’s Fire Marshal’s & Bedford County’s Sherriff’s Office.

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Christmas 2014 Drug Dealer Roundup

12/11/14

PRESS RELEASE
December 11, 2014

On 11 December 2014, 0800 hours, law enforcement agents from the ABC Board, Town of Bedford PD, and the Virginia State Police assisted the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, Vice/Drug Unit, in the service of arrest warrants on eighteen persons charged with the distribution of illegal drugs and prescription drugs (pills, cocaine, marijuana, and heroin). The arrest took place throughout the county and in the Town of Bedford.

A list of persons arrested and the exact charges against them will be provided to the media as soon as possible.

“I want to commend the public for their assistance in this effort. We received information through our Facebook and Twitter accounts and our land line which assisted in our investigation. In this regard, I would encourage our communities to reach out to us if they have information on illegal drugs in their community. ALL information provided to us is kept CONFIDENTIAL!”

Taking these drug dealers out of our communities may have saved a life during this Christmas Holiday…citizens of Bedford County, keep up the good work!

As in past Christmas ‘Round Ups’, we presented every person arrested our, now famous, Miranda Christmas Card that is attached to this email. Most took it in the spirit of holiday giving and several weren’t too happy to get them.

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Appeals Exhausted for Aston Earl McCrea, AKA ‘Kojak’

12/10/14

PRESS RELEASE
December 10, 2014

On October 5, 2011, investigators with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, Vice Unit, obtained a State Search Warrant for the residence of Aston Earl McCrea, located at 3764 Spradlin Road, Goodview, Virginia. The search warrant was obtained as a result information provided by Roanoke City Police Department, Vice Unit, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Bedford County Investigators were informed that a UPS package was interdicted in Roanoke City containing approximately 50 pounds of marijuana and that a controlled delivery of the package would be delivered to a subject that resided at 3764 Spradlin Road, which is located in the Goodview area of Bedford County. Investigators then conducted a controlled delivery of the package to Mr. McCrea at his residence located in Bedford County. Bedford County Sheriff’s Office led a search warrant at McCrea’s home assisted by Department of Homeland Security Special Agents, the Roanoke City Police Department, and the Virginia State Police. A search of the residence located the marijuana shipment along with a firearm and currency.

The joint investigation revealed that McCrea was party to an interstate conspiracy to traffic large amounts of marijuana into Virginia where he arranged for distribution of the drugs in the Roanoke Valley and surrounding area. McCrea admitted to investigators to receiving large shipments of marijuana for several months and profiting approximately $77,000.00 from illegal marijuana sales. McCrea was charged with conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, conspiracy to commit money laundering, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The case was tried at the United States District Court in Roanoke, Virginia by the United States Attorney’s Office. After a two-day trial, the jury convicted McCrea of the charges. On September 7, 2012, the District Court sentence McCrea to 180 months of incarceration. After McCrea’s sentencing, the District Court ordered the seizure and forfeiture of McCrea’s residence at 3764 Spradlin Road, Goodview, Virginia

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently affirmed the forfeiture of McCrea’s property, which includes a single-family residence with approximately 49.54 acres of land. Homeland Security Investigations plans to secure the property this week.

This release was held until this date as the result of appeals on the sentence handed down and the seizure of the assets of the subject.

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Operation Pain Train

11/21/14

PRESS RELEASE
November 21, 2014

Bedford County, the Epicenter of Illegal Prescription Pill Distribution in Central and Southwest Virginia – The Hammer Has Dropped

Operation Pain Train was initiated by Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Investigators in October of 2009. It originally started as a Counterfeit Money/Prescription Pill Distribution Case involving many of the same players that were indicted in Pain Train. Soon after initiating the case, an overdose death of methadone occurred. The methadone had been obtained from an illegal sale of the prescription medication. There was at least one other overdose death attributed to this operation.

There were several search warrants completed by Investigators of the BCSO and arrests were made in reference to the Counterfeit Money Operation. The focus was then turned to Narcotics Distribution and the Illegal Sale of Prescription Medication.

Bedford County Sheriff’s Office was ably assisted by the Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and vigorously prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office, Western District of Virginia. This investigation would not have been as successful as it turned out to be had it not been for the close knit association of all of these ‘team players’ and their overriding desire to ‘Sweep the field clean’ of the criminal elements that would ply their illegal trade to the citizens of Bedford County and other locations. Their efforts resulted in the indictments of 37 people on charges pertaining to the distribution and illegal sale of illicit narcotics and prescription medication.

The investigation took our investigative team to Virginia, DC, North Carolina, Florida and New Jersey

The 37 defendants are listed on the attachment along with time to be served, which totals to 170 years of prison time!

Judge Norman Moon, Western District, US Federal Court, Lynchburg, Virginia, presided over each of the 37 court hearings and his sentencing should have left no question in the minds of those who would choose the illegal drug trade as a business venture…don’t do it in the Western District of Virginia!

Property crimes have dropped since this case has been finalized.

Operation Pain Train Defendants
Name Time to be served
Bryant Reynolds 108mo/9years
Jeff Reynolds 72mo/6years
Mark Campbell 90mo/7.5years
Matt Barlow 90mo/7.5years
Chad Overstreet 60mo/5years
George Lynch 48mo/4years
Dana Parker 66mo/5.5years
Danielle Reynolds 66mo/5.5years
Elizabeth Reynolds 21mo/1.75years
Chris O’Neal 72mo/6years
Josh Surprenant 12mo 1 day
Ronnie Cupp 204mo/17years
Cory Mowles 52mo/4years
Jerry Woolwine 52mo/4years
Wendy Hanner 8years
Johnny Rohton 47mo/4years
Kevin Jessee 36mo/3years
Tony Abee 48mo/4years
Robert Van Arsdale 32mo/2.6years
Jennifer Kirsche 36mo/3years
Scottie Andrews 36mo/3years
Andy Dooley 12mo 1 day
Brandon Turpin 48mo/4years
Jimmy Wheat 30mo/2.5years
Les Chris Burns 136mo/11.4years
Eric Nichols 60mo/5years
Teddy Gillespie 84mo/7years
John Gillespie 45mo/3.75years
Matt Miles 42mo/3.5years
Reva White 42mo/3.5years
Timmy White 42mo/3.5years
Tammy Henderson 24mo/2years
Timmy Nichols 41mo/3.5years
Colton Massie 24m/2years
Lewis Carroll 41mo/3.5years
Edgar Rawlings 42mo/3.5years
Jeff McCormick 166mo/13years 8mo

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BCSO Responds to Incident At Teass Terrace, Virginia State Police Will Investigate

10/28/14

PRESS RELEASE
October 28, 2014

At 4:06 p.m. today Bedford County 911 dispatchers received a call from a female who was yelling and screaming for the police and then dispatchers lost contact with her. The call came from a cell phone and dispatchers plotted the call to 1625 Teass Terrace. At 4:13 p.m. Bedford County deputies arrived on the scene. After arriving deputies found a female victim who had been assaulted with an ax. Shortly thereafter, deputies reported that the male who had assaulted the female had been shot and requested rescue units. The female victim was transported to Bedford Memorial Hospital by ambulance. Deputies performed CPR on the male suspect until rescue units arrived and he was pronounced dead. The Virginia State Police were requested to respond to the scene and will be investigating the incident.

Since the Virginia State Police are conducting the investigation the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office will not be making any further releases.

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UPDATE – Need Help In Identifying Female Suspect in Forest Food Lion Credit Card Fraud

10/22/14

UPDATE – 10-22-2014

PRESS RELEASE
October 15, 2014

The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office is investigating credit card fraud that occurred on October 10, 2014 at the Food Lion in Forest. Investigators are seeking the assistance from the public in identifying the female who is the suspect in the fraud.

Click for larger picture

Anyone with information on this crime or knows the identity of the suspect is asked to call the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office at 540-586-7827, submit a web tip here, or contact Central Virginia Crime Stoppers at 1-888-798-5900. Crime Stoppers callers remain anonymous and could receive a cash reward up to $1,000.00 for information that solves crimes.

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