For every vehicle stolen in Virginia there is a dedicated law enforcement professional committed to its recovery. In 2003, 37 such individuals were selected to receive the H.E.A.T. program’s annual Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Awards for their genuine commitment and relentless pursuit to prevent and reduce auto thefts within their communities. Sixteen first place awards, 15 second place awards, and six third place awards will be presented to these distinguished men and women representing local and state agencies throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Entrants are compete against each other based on department size. Virginia is divided into seven geographical divisions with three subcategories based on department size within each division. The Virginia State Police and Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles compete in separate divisions.
Brief summaries of each first place winner’s accomplishments are provided below.
Division I
Category 1: 401+ Officers
First Place: Investigator Leroy C. Tyler
County of Henrico, Division of Police
Auto Theft Investigator Leroy Tyler is about as familiar to the list of LEO Award winners as he is to Henrico County residents. A LEO Award recipient in 2002, Investigator Tyler made tremendous strides in promoting auto theft prevention on local television, the Internet, and within the Henrico County Public School system. Investigator Tyler arranged for a H.E.A.T. auto theft prevention slide to run on the Henrico County Government Access Channel and taped a 60 second public service announcement on VIN etching to circulate on the regional cable system. When the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s annual top ten list of stolen vehicles went public, the veteran police officer recognized it as an opportunity to advise local television news viewers on auto theft prevention and was interviewed by one of the Richmond news stations. In all, Investigator Tyler was able to get his H.E.A.T. message out to almost half a million television viewers and cable subscribers. Investigator Tyler also took steps to place a link to the H.E.A.T. program’s web site on both Henrico County’s police and government web pages. As a result, approximately 400 Internet users each day are able to reach the H.E.A.T. program’s site.
Seeing an opportunity to introduce thousands of Henrico County teenagers to the H.E.A.T. program’s new auto theft prevention curriculum, Investigator Tyler was instrumental in the coordination and dissemination of educational CD-ROMs to Henrico County School Resource Officers.
Investigator Tyler also proved himself in 2003 as a skilled investigator and effective trainer. Of the 224 auto theft cases assigned to him in 2003, he uncovered a theft ring involving stolen and stripped Hondas that has initiated an even larger investigation. Not only is Investigator Tyler responsible for instructing his department’s basic recruits on the H.E.A.T. program, but also secured a site for and taught at the H.E.A.T. program’s March 2003 Basic Auto Theft School.
Category 3: 1-100 Officers
Officer Christine L. Hunte
Richmond International Airport Police Department
Since becoming a HEAT representative for the Richmond Airport in the fall of 2002, Officer Christine Hunte’s extraordinary efforts have truly taken off. The 2003 recovery rate for Officer Hunte’s department was 94.75 percent with a majority of vehicles being recovered within one to four hours of the initial report. The quick recovery rate is attributed to Officer Hunte’s strong ties and effective networking with neighboring jurisdictions. Officer Hunte has also been instrumental in providing regional H.E.A.T. members with direct rental car agency contact numbers for investigative purposes.
Officer Hunte also took on the challenge of improving relationships with rental car agencies that work with the airport, thus streamlining the process of reporting unauthorized use cases to the airport police department. She was also able to expedite the procedure of vehicle information being entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and Virginia Criminal Information Network (VCIN). Her persistence promptly resulted in two arrests and four recoveries. In April 2003, Officer Hunte made a presentation to the tenant airport rental car managers and provided them with a department brochure featuring auto theft prevention and unauthorized use reporting procedures and details. Officer Hunte routinely visited the rental car agencies to provide information on effective key control techniques and to inform management of the latest rental car thefts occurring in adjacent jurisdictions, including the method of the theft and suspect descriptions.
Officer Hunte organized the Richmond Airport’s first VIN etching function. Not only was the October 2003 event a success with 32 vehicles being etched, but so was having the H.E.A.T. race car on display in the Richmond International Airport Terminal Building for the week leading up to the VIN etching. Officer Hunte also participated in staffing the H.E.A.T. trailer at the Richmond International Raceway during the September 2003 races and assisted with a VIN etching sponsored by Henrico Police in October.
Division II
Category 3 – 1-100 Officers
Deputy Troy Wheeler
Orange County Sheriff’s Office
From Waugh’s Harley-Davidson to the Village Feed Home & Garden store to the Montpelier Hunt Races, there was no mistaking Deputy Troy Wheeler’s dedication to and enthusiasm for auto theft prevention. As stated by his sheriff, Deputy Wheeler reached thousands of Orange County residents in 2003 through his exemplary efforts to promote the H.E.A.T. program. H.E.A.T. posters blanket local merchants’ counters and bulletin boards. Making an appearance in Orange County with his #7 car in October 2003, H.E.A.T. racecar driver Burton Martin quickly became a popular celebrity with Orange County residents thanks to Deputy Wheeler.
Deputy Wheeler was also successful in securing from the Orange County Board of Supervisors an Operation H.E.A.T. Wave Proclamation for the month of September. The certified crime prevention specialist was also proficient at acquiring donated locking devices that were distributed at various local businesses and area festivals. Deputy Wheeler and his department’s auto theft prevention efforts were also recognized by the local media in a September 2003 article.
Division IV
Category 3: 1-100 Officers
Officer Raymond W. Thomas, Jr.
Marion Police Department
The fall of 2003 proved especially busy for Officer Raymond Thomas. While on patrol, Officer Thomas recovered three stolen vehicles in four months, with two of the vehicles’ values totaling $50,000. First Officer Thomas’ persistence paid off when he was able to locate a stolen Ryder truck, reported missing by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. The following month, Officer Thomas recovered a stolen car within five days of the initial report. Then a simple traffic stop netted Officer Thomas a third stolen vehicle and three missing teenagers from Northern Virginia.
Officer Thomas also tracked down in March 2003 a truck stolen from a local company, bringing his recovery total to four for the year. Marion Police Chief Michael Roberts commended Officer Thomas for setting an excellent example for others and proving that patrol officers “can impact and make a difference in the ‘big’ cases.”
Division V
Category 2: 100-400 Officers
Sheriff Gary W. Waters
Deputy Leon B. Whitehurst, Sr.
City of Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office
Thanks to the exemplary role of Sheriff Gary Waters and his department in promoting auto theft prevention, more than 2,600 Portsmouth residents, young and old, were introduced to the H.E.A.T. program in 2003 and potentially hundreds of vehicles safeguarded from an auto thief. Sheriff Waters and Deputy Leon Whitehurst, both awarded LEO Awards in 2002, were instrumental in the coordination of the department’s 15 auto theft and crime prevention presentations in which approximately 1,277 auto theft prevention brochures and materials were distributed to the public. H.E.A.T. materials and brochures were on display at such events as Portsmouth’s Neighborhood Enhancement and Action Team Summit, Whooping Against Drugs Annual Event, National Night Out picnic, a gas station’s grand opening, various senior citizen programs, and civic group meetings.
Sheriff Walters has even incorporated H.E.A.T. materials into his department’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit. Brochures are routinely distributed to drivers during safety inspections.
Category 3: 1-100 Officers
Officer Johnny R. Guy
Smithfield Police Department
There is nothing more frustrating for law enforcement than knowing someone is committing a crime and not having enough evidence to prove it. That all changed for Officer Johnny Guy after he attended the H.E.A.T. program’s Basic Auto Theft School. Proficient in auto theft detection and prevention techniques, Officer Guy went to work and successfully shut down a motorcycle theft ring operating out of Smithfield, Virginia Beach, and points in between. Through his diligent surveillance and investigation, much of it done on his own time, Officer Guy was able to coordinate with numerous other jurisdictions and arrest in 2003 a primary operator of the complex criminal network. The theft ring was targeting high-performance, high-speed motorcycles, one of which was recovered by Officer Guy. The investigation also led to searches of the suspect’s house and storage facility in which several stolen motorcycle parts and frames were also recovered. The investigation is still ongoing and additional arrests and charges are pending.
Division VI
Category 2: 100-400 Officers
Officer Richard Woodruff
Roanoke City Police Department
Officer Richard Woodruff’s time spent in the classroom proved well worth the effort in the months to follow. On his own initiative, Officer Woodruff enrolled himself in both a Basic Auto Theft School and an Auto Theft Suppression class. With his newfound knowledge and enhanced skills, Officer Woodruff in 2003 recovered 11 stolen vehicles in six months. His tremendous hard work earned him special recognition from his chief and a law enforcement award from the Fincastle Resolutions Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.
One of Officer Woodruff’s most impressive recoveries was made while off duty. In September 2003 while driving through Roanoke, he spotted a car that had been reported stolen from Valley View Mall. As Officer Woodruff followed the car in his personal vehicle, he notified dispatch and directed the responding officer to his course of travel. Officer Woodruff then assisted the responding officer in preventing the auto thief from escaping and subsequently the suspect was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle. A Roanoke City Police Department press release concerning the incident reported that the suspect was initially believed to have been armed. “Officer Woodruff was aware of this fact and acted on the crime in an off-duty capacity,” stated the press release.
Category 3 – 1-100 Officers
Officer Todd R. Cheyney
Salem Police Department
For Officer Todd Cheyney, recovering a stolen vehicle was simply all in a day’s work. In May 2003, Officer Cheyney was dispatched to a local convenience store to take a stolen vehicle report. The victim had left her car running in the parking lot and gone into the store. After obtaining a suspect description, Officer Cheyney then received a report of the stolen vehicle being abandoned in a nearby neighborhood. Officer Cheyney immediately responded to the second call only to find the stolen vehicle empty. Fortunately several residents were able to direct the officer in the direction of the suspect, who had fled on foot. Once Officer Cheyney spotted the suspect in some adjacent woods, a foot pursuit followed. Officer Cheyney quickly apprehended the suspect and was even able to obtain a confession to the car theft. The suspect, who was well intoxicated beyond the state’s legal limit, was charged with grand larceny of an auto. Acknowledging Officer Cheyney’s efforts, Salem Police Chief James Bryant credits the officer with having possibly prevented additional crimes from being committed by the suspect and recognized Officer Cheyney “for his quick and safe response to both scenes.”
Division VII
Category 3 – 1-100 Officers
Corporal James M. Moore
Herndon Police Department
During 2003, Corporal James Moore became a well-known officer among those in the auto theft and chop-shop communities of Herndon. Not only did Corporal Moore make multiple arrests as a result of three auto theft investigations, he also recovered approximately $31,000 in stolen property. The first case began in May 2003 when Corporal Moore responded to a larceny in progress. His investigation led him to the local residence of one of the suspects involved in the initial call. At the residence, Corporal Moore found the suspect as well as a wide variety of auto parts scattered about the exterior of the property. Corporal Moore was granted consent to search the house and ended up recovering more than $10,000 worth of stolen property. This particular investigation led to the closure of numerous open larceny-auto cases and the termination of a local stolen auto parts shop.
Then, in October 2003, Corporal Moore was keeping an eye on a local motorcycle dealership that had been repeatedly targeted by burglars. One evening during patrol he entered the dealership parking lot and encountered an occupied vehicle oddly parked next to a chain link fence. The dealership’s all-terrain vehicles were stored inside the fence. Corporal Moore confronted the driver and in the process of questioning the individual, discovered the chain link fence had been cut open and noticed two additional individuals inside the fence line. Single-handedly, he took all three individuals into custody. Further investigation led to the arrest of a fourth burglar, who had initially escaped. Corporal Moore’s diligence and decisive action resulted in four arrests and the recovery of $15,000 worth of all-terrain vehicles the thieves were attempting to steal.
Corporal Moore’s third case occurred in December 2003 when he stopped a vehicle that was attempting to evade an alcohol checkpoint. The vehicle proved to be stolen from Fairfax County. Through interviewing the vehicle’s two occupants, Corporal Moore was able to recover a second stolen vehicle. The two occupants were arrested that night and additional arrests are pending.
Division VIII
Virginia State Police
Senior Special Agent Bobby K. Rakes
After 15 years of investigating and preventing auto thefts, one might say that Senior Special Agent Bobby Rakes knows a thing or two about stolen vehicles. As an active member of the Richmond Metropolitan Automobile Theft Investigators Group since its inception, Senior Special Agent Rakes is highly-regarded and greatly respected among his fellow law enforcement. During 2003, Senior Special Agent Rakes investigated 51 auto-theft related cases. His investigative efforts enabled him to identify and recover 45 stolen vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment valued at $336,825. Senior Special Agent Rakes also facilitated the arrests of 18 individuals for auto-theft related offenses. In addition to his regular caseload, the State Police veteran was called upon 78 times by other law enforcement agencies to assist with their investigations, which led to numerous state and federal indictments of individuals.
Most notably during 2003, Senior Special Agent Rakes coordinated a multi-state investigation leading to the recovery of 20 stolen all-terrain vehicles and stolen motor vehicles in the Central Virginia region. This particular case also resulted in multiple indictments in Virginia and West Virginia. The success of this case received significant media attention as well as highlighted the cooperative role of law enforcement in auto-theft investigations. Senior Special Agent Rakes also earned a LEO Award in 2002.
Trooper Michael A. Sponheimer
In Northern Virginia, rarely is there a dull moment on Interstate 95, especially for Trooper Michael Sponheimer. His first of three stolen vehicle recoveries in 2003 occurred in the predawn hours of March 18. A carjacked vehicle being pursued by Maryland police had made its way through Washington, D.C., and into Virginia via I-95. The high-speed pursuit safely came to an end with Trooper Sponheimer taking two of the vehicles’ occupants into custody. His next recovery resulted from a routine traffic stop. The car Trooper Sponheimer pulled over on I-95 had been reported stolen eight hours earlier in Massachussetts. The thief and his girlfriend had been on their way to Florida. Then in December as Trooper Sponheimer was approaching a vehicle he had stopped on I-95, the vehicle’s driver took off and was pursued for the next 20 miles before running out of gas. The vehicle came back stolen two months prior from a Northern Virginia car dealership. Sponheimer recovered the vehicle and arrested the driver.
Senior Special Agent William H. Wagner
Senior Special Agent William Wagner, a 2002 LEO Award recipient, has also made a name for himself in the law enforcement community due to his extensive experience as an auto theft investigator. Assigned to the Northern Virginia region, Senior Special Agent Williams is especially recognized for his expertise in restoring obliterated identification numbers, the location and meaning of other subtle identifiers, and the various methods by which a vehicle can be stolen, re-plated, and placed back on the street. Of the 67 auto-theft related cases assigned to Senior Special Agent Wagner in 2003, he recovered 56 stolen vehicles and pieces of heavy equipment valued at $431,479. Senior Special Agent Wagner also facilitated in the arrest of one individual for a related auto-theft offense and was called upon 110 times by other law enforcement agencies to assist with their investigations in 2003. Senior Special Agent Wagner is also an active member of the DELMARVA Auto Theft Group.
Division IX
Department of Motor Vehicles
Senior Special Agent William Sexton
According to DMV Special-Agent-in-Charge Gabriel Morgan, one might mistake Senior Special Agent William “Bill” Sexton for a 21 year old. The septuagenarian is renowned in the Hampton Roads region for his unwavering energy, diligence, and enthusiasm for the job. In 2003, Senior Special Agent Sexton led DMV’s Portsmouth District Investigative Services Office in stolen vehicle recoveries. He personally recovered 29 vehicles with a net worth of approximately $175,000. Plus, Senior Special Agent Sexton directed his investigative team, which consisted of two other agents, to recover another 46 stolen vehicles, valued more than $325,000. He also individually conducted 199 salvage examinations in 2003 to ensure that stolen auto parts were not being used to rebuild other vehicles. Special-Agent-in-Charge Morgan commended Senior Special Agent Sexton for his “untiring devotion to duty and tenacious approach” and for serving as an ideal role model for “others to emulate.”
Patricia Hannas, Customer Service Generalist Senior
Keen insight and quick thinking on the part of DMV Customer Service Generalist Patricia Hannas put the brakes on two auto thieves wanted by the FBI. It was lunchtime when a couple walked into the Military Circle DMV Office in June 2003 and approached Ms. Hannas to obtain Virginia titles for three motorcycles. Ms. Hannas was provided with a Tennessee Certificate of Title and bill of sale for each motorcycle. A National Crime Information Center (NCIC) inquiry alerted Ms. Hannas that one of the three motorcycles was stolen. The couple told her that they would check with the originating police department about the motorcycle and return the next day. Ms. Hannas promptly notified the DMV Investigative Services Office about the couple’s transaction. After further investigation, the Tennessee titles proved to be fraudulent and Ms. Hannas was instructed to keep an eye out for the couple if they did in fact return to the office. Sure enough, the two came back the next day. Ms. Hannas spotted them, notified her manager and investigative services, and made sure the pair were directed to her. This time the couple presented her with a Tennessee title and bill of sale for a Corvette. Ms. Hannas expertly stalled the couple until the investigative services agents arrived. As a deputy led the couple away, the man became violent, struggled with the deputy, and escaped the office. He was later apprehended in another state. The woman was taken into custody on site. An inventory search revealed the couple had a stack of blank, fraudulent, Tennessee titles. Investigators also found evidence that the pair were involved in identity theft and were wanted by the FBI for trafficking stolen, vehicle airbags.
Meleta Leonard, Program Support Specialist Senior
Without Program Support Specialist Meleta Leonard on the job, Virginia’s auto theft investigators would have an even tougher time locating stolen vehicles. Ms. Leonard is a true asset to the H.E.A.T. program’s mission to reduce and prevent vehicle thefts. In January 2003, Ms. Leonard assumed the responsibility of administering Virginia’s vehicle “stolen stop” and case management program, located at DMV’s Criminal Investigations Division headquarters in Richmond. Her responsibilities include reviewing and analyzing all stolen vehicle data generated from inquiries made by DMV customer service centers, Internet users, and use-agreement customers. Ms. Leonard is then responsible for scrutinizing and verifying the information before forwarding it to either the Virginia State Police Auto Theft Unit or DMV’s Investigative Services Office for appropriate action. Handling an average 20 stolen vehicle “hits” a day, Ms. Leonard responded to approximately 400 such “hits” in 2003.