PRESS RELEASE
December 12,2016

On Friday December 9, 2016, Bedford County Sheriff’s investigators have arrested and charged two men and one female in connection to the string of thefts from vehicles in the Forest area.

Skyler Gillespie

James Brandt

Hailey V. Hudson

James Brandt, age 29, of Bedford County, Hailey V. Hudson, age 21, Bedford County, and Skyler T. Gillespie, age 26, of Lynchburg were charged with a total of seven charges each including grand larceny and theft of credit cards. Investigators were able to recover some of the stolen items. More charges are expected in Bedford County as the investigation continues.

Download the PDF Press Release

PRESS RELEASE
December 9, 2016

On Friday morning a Bedford County Sheriff’s School Resource Officer arrested a Staunton River High School student.
Joshua D. Amos, age 18, made a post referencing “he’s got a gun” on the Bedford County Public School’s Face Book page. The post was made as the school’s administrators and students were sending off the school’s football team to the State Championship Game at William and Mary on Saturday.

Joshua D. Amos

After a short investigation, it was determined that a gun was not on campus and no students were in danger. Amos was taken into custody and transported to the Bedford Adult Detention Center. He was charged with Disorderly Conduct and released on an unsecured bond.

Download the PDF Press Release

Bedford, VA –  On November 10, investigators from Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, along with investigators from Halifax County Sheriff’s Office, served warrants on LESLIE GERBER, of Nathalie, VA, related to charges involving the sexual exploitation of a minor.  Additionally, a search warrant for additional evidence related to the arrest warrants, was also executed.

LESLIE GERBER

An investigator with the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office, assigned to the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, while in an undercover capacity, became involved in online communications with a subject later identified as Gerber.  Through the course of their communication, numerous offenses involving violations of Code of Virginia 18.2-374.1 (Production of child pornography) and Code of Virginia 18.2-374.3 (Use of a communications device to commit certain offenses against children) were documented by the investigator.

The Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is administered by the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office which has been the lead Task Force Agency since 1998.  Halifax County Sheriff’s Office is a member agency of the Task Force, as well.

Download the PDF Press Release

PRESS RELEASE
October 31, 2016
Monday, October 31, 2016, was a timely ‘treat’ for Bedford County Sheriff’s Office investigators, when they arrested a Campbell county man and charged him with five burglaries. Bedford teamed with Altavista Police Department and Campbell County Sheriff’s Office and arrested Michael Ray Ferguson, Jr., age 31. Ferguson was also charged with five counts of grand larceny. These burglaries all occurred during daylight hours between October 4 and October 20, 2016. Three firearms were recovered by Investigators that had been reported stolen by victims of this crime wave.
Ferguson is being held in the Amherst Adult Detention Center.

Roncervette D. Saunders	Michael Ray Ferguson, Jr.
Age 59	Age 31

Earlier this month on October 20 2016, Bedford County Sheriff’s investigators arrested Roncervette D. Saunders, age 59, of Lynchburg. Saunders has been charged with two counts of receiving stolen firearms and other property, and two counts of selling stolen firearms and property, all items connected to these Southside Bedford county burglaries. Further charges are expected.
Both were presented with a festive Halloween card from Sheriff Brown explaining their Miranda rights.

Download the PDF Press Release

PRESS RELEASE
October 14, 2016

On August 10, 2016, Bedford County Sheriff’s Animal Control Deputies received a complaint regarding an incident that occurred at the Bedford County Animal Shelter. Animal Control Deputies were informed that a shelter worker, identified as a Bryan Skinnell, had injured a cat while performing cleaning maintenance at the facility. Upon investigation, it was found that Skinnell had injured the cat after he grew frustrated because it kept escaping its cage. The cat was taken to a local veterinarian clinic where it had to be euthanized due to its injuries. The cause of death was consistent with blunt force trauma. Skinnell was terminated immediately and has been charged with felony Animal Cruelty. On September 26, 2016, Skinnell was arrested and transported to the Bedford Adult Detention Facility. He was released on a Personal Recognizance bond.

Bryan T. Skinnell

Download the PDF Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

October 13, 2016

At 12:30 p.m. today, Bedford County 911 dispatchers received a call from the 4500 block of Dickerson Mill Road, Bedford. The caller said he heard gunshots come from a house on Wheatland Road and that the young man that lived there has a history of mental issues. The caller also called the stepfather of the male subject and told him that he saw his step son walking up the road with a rifle. 

The step father called 911 and advised that there were two rifles in the house and one of them was loaded. He also said both guns were supposed to be locked up. 

Dispatchers then also received a call from 5301 Wheatland Road and the caller said a subject with blond hair was ringing his door bell and holding a rifle. He then said the subject had run down to the woods. Bedford County Sheriff’s deputies along with Bedford Town Police officers and Conservation Police responded to the area and attempted to locate the subject.

After arriving at the subject’s house, 5202 Wheatland Road, deputies found a fire burning behind the house next to a large propane tank. The Bedford Fire Department arrived and extinguished the fire. 

Deputies also found extensive damage to the inside of the residence, including broken doors and what appeared to be bullet holes.

At 1:43 p.m. dispatchers received a call from WDBJ 7, who advised that a subject had fired a shot at their van near the intersection of Von Roy Road and Wheatland Road.

At 1:51 p.m., dispatchers received a call advising a male with a camo jacket had shot a tire out on their vehicle on Wheatland Road.   

At 2:03 p.m. deputies located the male subject on Von Roy Road and took him into custody without incident. A .270 rifle, belonging to the step father, was recovered at this time. 

The subject is Daniel Flint, age 18, of 5202 Wheatland Road, Bedford, Va. 

He is being charged with arson, malicious shooting of an occupied vehicle and attempted malicious shooting of an occupied vehicle. 

As the investigation continues further charges are possible.

The shooting incident in the Thaxton area has ended with the 18 year old in custody, without incident.
No citizens or law enforcement officers were injured during this event.
There will be a press conference, here at the Sheriff’s Office:

Today, October 13, 2016
3:30pm in the E.O.C. room
located on the lower level.
Further details of the incident will then be released.

MEDIA NOTIFICATION
September 22, 2016

Mr. Ron Staton, Director, Central Virginia Criminal Justice Academy (CVCJA), and Chief Doug Bradley, who is Chief of Police at BWXT, and a Representative from Board of Directors, CVCJA, surprised Sheriff Mike Brown this morning during the monthly meeting of the association. The surprise was an encased ‘Flag of the United States of America’ that was flown over the US Capitol on January 1, 2016, honoring Sheriff Brown for his 50 years in law enforcement (’66 – ’16). The flag and accompanying official document honoring Sheriff Brown was orchestrated by Congressman Bob Goodlatte. The Congressman’s office noted that very few flags are flown over the Capitol for presentation on January 1 as this is a federal holiday. However, Congressman Goodlatte was able to ‘move mountains’ and get it done for Sheriff Brown.

Sheriff Brown’s career encompassed service as a deputy sheriff here in Bedford (’66), military policeman, Washington DC police officer, retired federal agent, and Sheriff of Bedford County, Virginia.

Sheriff Brown commented; “Surprised just doesn’t say enough…I was flabbergasted to say the very least. To be honored in this manner by my peers and my congressman is beyond my ability to express!”

Sheriff Brown will proudly display the shadow boxed flag in the lobby of his office.