PRESS RELEASE
December 21, 2017

On Monday December 18, 2017, the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office took a report of the larceny of a large number of tools from the new Bedford Middle School job site. The contractor advised deputies that several tool boxes had been broken into sometimes over the weekend. The contractor also advised that the stolen tools had a value of $9,000.00 dollars.

As a result of the investigation of the theft of the tools on Wednesday December 20, Bedford County Sheriff’s deputies arrested the following individuals and charged each of them with Breaking and Entering and Grand Larceny. Investigators have recovered approximately 25 % of the stolen tools.

Kevin L. Thibodeau, age 20, Monroe, Va.

Cheyanne C. Tom, age 20, Bedford, Va.

Charles A. Murphy Jr., age 20, Bedford, Va.

Jacob N. Desmond, age 20, Madison Heights, Va.

Thomas S. Jerina, age 22, Madison Heights, Va.

 

PRESS RELEASE
December 18, 2017

On Friday December 1, 2017, a Bedford County Grand Jury indicted twenty-nine individuals on 53 narcotics charges. The indictments are the results of an ongoing narcotics investigation in Bedford County by the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office.

Bedford County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Bedford Police Department and the Virginia State Police has arrested the following persons;

 

Paul Graham (three counts of distribution of Roxycodone)

Curtis Floyd (three counts of distribution of Methamphetamine)

Hunter Galaini (three counts of distribution of cocaine)

Brian Blankenship (one count of distribution of Herion)

(one count of distribution of Methamphetamine)

Justine Cooper (one count of distribution of Oxycodone)

(one count of distribution of Methamphetamine)

Mary Lilly (one count of possession of Heroin)

(one count of possession of Methamphemine)

(one count of possession of Buprenorphine)

Justin Carter (one count of distribution of Heroin)

Vickie Moreno (one count of distribution of Fentanyl)

(one count of child endangerment)

Terry Overstreet (one count of distribution of Fentanyl)

Shane Wooldridge (one count of distribution of Heroin)

Kenny Ramsey Sr. (one count of distribution of Oxycodone)

Sarah Myers (one count of crack cocaine)

Jack Evans  (two counts of distribution of cocaine)

(two counts of distribution of cocaine in a school zone)

Jeremy Steptoe (two counts of distribution of cocaine)

(two counts of distribution of cocaine in a school zone)

Courtney Hickey (two counts of distribution of methamphemine)

Scott Shank (one count of distribution of Methamphemine)

Samuel Foster (one count of distribution of Methamhemine)

Donovan Bruns (one count of distribution of Heroin)

Lisa D. Davidson (one count of manufacture Methamphetamine)

Joshua Adams (one count of opana)

Elicia  Dickson (two counts of buprenorphine)

 

Each person arrested was presented with warm Christmas wishes from Sheriff Mike Brown in the form of his annual Christmas card explaining their Miranda rights.

 

 

On October 24, 2017, the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission held its fall conference at the Holiday Inn Select in Bristol, Virginia. The commission awarded the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office its fourth re-accreditation certificate. The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office received its initial accreditation in 1999. The accreditation assessment takes place every four years.

On Monday afternoon October 16, 2017, a three person Assessment Team arrived at the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office. The team was made up of law enforcement accreditation managers representing the Shenandoah County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Park Police Department and the Vinton Police Department. The team first performed a walk-through inspection of the Bedford County Courthouse. The team then inspected a static display of a deputy sheriff’s patrol vehicle, animal control vehicle, K-9 deputy’s patrol vehicle, A.T.V.s, lake patrol boat and other specialty equipment and weapons. Also on Monday evening, one member of the team conducted a ride-along with a deputy for several hours.

On Tuesday morning, the assessment team conducted a walk-thru inspection of the Sheriff’s Office including the administrative offices, record keeping practices, the communication center, evidence rooms, file security  and over-all security of the complex. After completing the walk-through inspection, the team began examining files containing the 188 standards as promulgated under the process for the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission.

On Wednesday morning the team returned to the sheriff’s office and completed the file review process. At 3:30 p.m. the team conducted an exit interview with Sheriff Brown and his Command Staff. The team reported no major or minor violations were found during the assessment.

Sheriff Brown acknowledges that without the dedicated and hard working men and women of the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office this major accomplishment would never happen. Especially Sgt. Brian Neal, who is the Office’s Accreditation Manager.

On Monday November 27, 2017, Mr. Derrick Mays, Department of Criminal Justice Services Accreditation Program Manager, will present the Re-Accreditation Certificate to Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown at 7:00 p.m. at the Bedford County Board of Supervisor’s Meeting

 

 

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE
November 7, 2017

Today, the Bedford County Grand Jury met to consider a number of proposed indictments. Two defendants who were previously charged for their alleged role in the death of a juvenile on or about March 27, 201 7, saw their charges upgraded by these indictments. True bills were returned against the following individuals:

Kevin Josue Soto Bonilla, age 20, and Cristian Jose Sanchez Gomez, age 22, have now been charged with Capital Murder, Robbery, Abduction for Pecuniary Benefit and Participation in a Criminal Act in Association with a Criminal Street Gang.

Upon return of these true bills, arrest warrants will be issued and served against the two individuals. The preliminary hearings for both men, scheduled for November 20, 2017 in Bedford’s Juvenile and Domestic Court, will no longer take place as those charges will be nolle prosequied. The defendants are presently held without bond in the Blue Ridge Regional Jail System, and their initial appearance in the Bedford County Circuit Court will be determined after the service of the aforementioned arrest warrants.

The investigation into the death of Raymond Wood continues unabated after these indictments. Additionally, Commonwealth’s Attorney Wes Nance would also like to take this time to announce that he has added members of the Office of the Attorney General’s Office to the prosecution team to open new avenues of prosecution both of this crime and the criminal gang allegedly associated with it. Therefore, anyone who believes that they may have information helpful to this investigation is urged to contact the Bedford Count y Sheriff s Office at 540-586- 4800.

Each of these individuals is presumed to be innocent. The fact that true bills have been returned against them does not change that presumption or the Commonwealth’s burden of proof in criminal matters.

PRESS RELEASE
November 2, 2017

This morning the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office conducted a narcotics search of the county’s three high schools. Shortly after the first bell the school resource officers called for a *low level lock-down of their schools. Bedford County Sheriff’s deputies, with the assistance of narcotics K-9s entered the schools. School administrators were not informed of the operation prior to the lock-down. This operation was a pre-planned event and like drills preformed in the schools yearly. Timing of this operation was based on man-power and resource availably, not specific concerns.

K-9s from the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office, Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office and Rocky Mount Police Department assistant Bedford County Sheriff’s K-9 deputies with the operation.

The lock-downs were lifted at all three schools at approximately 10:45 a.m.

The only contraband found in the school searches this morning was a pellet gun in a student’s car and a small amount of marijuana in a student’s book bag.

Other than these findings the operation was uneventful. As usual, School Officials and students at all three school were extremely cooperative.

The timing of this operation was scheduled based mainly on man-power and resources, availability of K-9s, not specific concerns. The BCSO have been conducting these types of operations in the Bedford County Schools for years.

*Low level lock down= Students are confined to their classrooms and instruction continues.

PRESS RELEASE
October 13, 2017

Sheriff Mike Brown is pleased to announce that Bedford County Sheriff’s Office investigators have charged a fourth and fifth suspects in the murder of the *juvenile that occurred on Roaring Run Road on March 27, 2017 in Bedford County.

Kevin Soto-Bonilla, age 20, was arrested in New York on September 19, 2017. He will be extradited back to Bedford in the coming days.

Cristian Jose Sanchez-Gomez, age 22, was arrested on October 5, 2017 in Albemarle County, Va. He is being held in the Blue Ridge Regional Jail on no bond.

These arrests are the direct result of Bedford County Sheriff’s investigators working closely with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. These investigators are to be commended for the dedication and laser like concentration that followed their efforts, which were protracted and long-drawn-out, in bringing this case to a successful conclusion. Although the investigation continues these arrests conclude the search for suspects directly involved in the death of the juvenile victim.

After the crime, investigators quickly realized there were additional suspects that had managed to avoid arrest. The investigation further revealed that they were not from Virginia and had fled the immediate area. A tactical decision was made not to release this information so that the investigation might continue without driving them further underground.

In addition, our investigator’s efforts were instrumental in the arrest of other individuals not associated with our case but major players in another criminal enterprise.

Due to the complexity of this investigation and in an effort to insure the integrity of the case at their trials, the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office will make no further comments at this time.

*Effective July 1, 2017, Virginia law prohibits law enforcement from identifying juvenile homicide victims.

Download the PDF Press Release

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE UPDATE

September 15, 2017

The deceased hiker found on the Appalachian Trail has been identified as James Allen Nanninga, age 70, of Florida. Late this afternoon Bedford County Sheriff’s investigators spoke with family members in Florida and learned that Nanninga was hiking the trail alone.

The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office received word from the Medical Examiner’s Office that a cause of death will not determined until all tests results are in. However, there is no evidence of
foul play.

PRESS RELEASE
September 15, 2017

The body of the hiker located on the Appalachian Trial in Bedford County yesterday was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Roanoke. Investigators are waiting to learn the identity and cause of death. At this point it arrears to be a tragic accident.

More information will be released later.