There have been a few questions about my experience, what qualifies me to be the Sheriff and what improvements I’ll bring….

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I'm going to break this down and be as specific as I can.

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Early life

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My grandfather was my greatest inspiration. He was involved in law enforcement his entire adult life. As a child, I spent a lot of time with him and that drove me to want to be in law enforcement.

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I volunteered at The Jo Story Senior Center assisting seniors with grocery shopping and yard work and with the Meals on Wheels Program taking food to the door for those in the program. I also volunteered as a Candy Striper at what was then Halifax Memorial Hospital. There I worked in cardio pulmonary assisting patients from their rooms and with the testing. I also was assigned to the billing department assisting with filings and other clerical duties.

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When I wasn't volunteering, I helped my mother with paying bills by working for a roofing company when I was out of school. It was just me and my mother, and I learned at a very young age nothing would be given, it must be earned.

 

These are all things I had done by the age of 15…

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At the age of 16, l earned my GED from Halifax Community College and had my sights set on becoming a law man. I was too young to start BLET (must be 18), so I got a job with Colony Tire here in Roanoke Rapids. I quickly worked my way up in the company and held every position from tech to management.

 

Over the next decade, I held many titles at many different locations where I learned what it took to manage expenses, payroll, inventory, team members and other vital management and leadership skills. In many cases, the teams I led were twice my age.

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Later in Life

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In 2009, l started Discount Automotive and Tire and have successfully led this business through a turbulent economy, covid and other challenges involved with small business ownership.

 

We are still here today celebrating 17 strong years serving the Roanoke Valley and surrounding areas. For 17 years, we have continuously given back to our community through many ways from annual toy drives, back to school events, fundraisers and much more.

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Several years ago, we founded The Rewritten Story Foundation which is one of the most impactful and effective small nonprofits in our state. From fundraising and assisting local families to building beds for children who don’t have one, we have dedicated our lives to serving, not just Halifax County but all those in need.

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I have personally led our Disaster Response Team on numerous missions to include months of back and forth work in Western NC after the devastating floods and most recently in Texas assisting with recovery efforts of the missing after the flooding that claimed so many lives. We have served in Ohio, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana, Kentucky, Texas, Alabama and North Carolina over the past several years. We have partnered with so many great volunteers and organizations.

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Law Enforcement Experience

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I've always had ties to law enforcement whether through my grandfather or close friends who were officers or deputies. In 2020, I enrolled in BLET at Halifax Community College. At that time, I had a limited staff at my business but was able to step away to pursue serving our community. Roughly a month after starting the program, a key person at my business quit leaving me short staffed and having to make the decision to leave the program and go back to my business. Keep in mind I wasn't in BLET for money or a certain job position at that time, it was for me to be able to serve as a law enforcement officer in my spare time.

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Shortly after returning to work, I received a call from the HCSO Chief Deputy informing me they had heard about what happened and that the Sheriff agreed to swear me in for a 12 month probationary period. Back then, the Sheriff had the ability to swear in a deputy through what was called a probationary appointment.

 

At that time, Sheriffs' Training and Standards issued a probationary certification. I was handed the bible and told to hold it with my left hand and raise my right, I took my oath and was sworn in by the clerk of court. I was issued a county ID card, my credentials and badge. A week or so later, I took my firearms qualification at Nash Community College with the HCSO Major and was then ready to work.

 

After working with a few different deputies on the road, the Lieutenant for the Interstate Interdiction Team requested me to join them. That's where the majority of my time was spent. I actually found a body cam video from July of 2021 that has me and another deputy involved in a high speed pursuit of an individual who turned down a dead end road where he jumped and ran. In the video, you see my partner running after the individual and me passing him and catching up to the person and tackling him. I won’t post the video or send it out, however I’m happy to show that video in person to anyone who’d like to see it. I will post some still images from it.

 

Here’s the link to the RRSpin story.

Read the referenced RRSpin story ↗

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Over my time working, I was involved in many aspects of the job. I do not claim this to be years of experience or make this out to be more than it is. I worked in my spare time and on some weekends. It wasn’t about money; it was about serving my community and making a difference.

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The point of this post is to dispel the rumors and misinformation being circulated that "He has ZERO law enforcement experience." That's simply just not true. ZERO means none. I do have some experience, and I have a firm understanding of the dedication, service and mindset needed to be successful.

 

Experience doesn’t always equal success, we currently have a young County Commissioner in place that came from being an English teacher. To my knowledge, he had no political experience and no business experience. In my opinion, he is doing a phenomenal job! Mindset, ability, heart and work ethic! He absolutely has all that!

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In July of 2024, I completed the Criminal Justice program offered at Nash Community College.

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I’m also very familiar with K9s and the dedication of our K9 officers. I personally have a Dutch Shepherd named Niko. He was trained professionally for law enforcement by Ventosa Kennels in Scotland Neck and responds to Dutch commands. I absolutely understand the responsibility of owning these high level animals and the job they do serving our communities.

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My “Other Responsibilities”

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I am currently the Chairman of the board for the Halifax County Crime Stoppers, but if I become your Sheriff, I have plans on turning that responsibility over to someone else.

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As far as The Rewritten Story Foundation, my heart will always be with that organization and as your Sheriff I will work to support every hard working nonprofit and community organization in Halifax County. If elected, I plan to step down as the head of TRSF and turn it over to our amazing team that has supported me from day one. They are more than capable of continuing the mission and again will always have my support.

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I also plan to give a portion of my Sheriff’s salary in support of these nonprofits and organizations.

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What about the tire store?

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My plan, since announcing my intentions to run for Sheriff, has always been to step away from my business and leave it in the capable hands of my team. We have a stellar management team in place now and a group of technicians who bring care and quality to every job they do.

 

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to sell majority ownership to a local business man who is more than capable of keeping our team together. I didn’t want any outside business distractions, so that if I became your Sheriff, I’d be able to give you 1000000%. Because of the decisions I’ve made, you’ll be getting exactly that!

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I bring 30 years of business management, 17 years of business ownership, a lifetime of community involvement and community action, and some law enforcement experience.

 

The best accolade I offer is my heart, my understanding of what it takes to be successful, my dedication to the people, my work ethic and my willingness to sacrifice.

 

Politics do not and will not dictate my actions.

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I want to see things improve. I’m just as tired as you are of the crime and the division. It’s past time to do something different.

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I’ve walked into situations that seemed impossible or hopeless, dug in deep and made things happen! That’s my mindset. One of my gifts is the ability to quickly analyze a situation or problem and begin the process of repairing it. Every current deputy and employee at that office has a job, even the current Sheriff if he chooses to stay.

 

I don’t want to redesign the wheel, I want to fix what’s keeping it from moving forward and get things going in the right direction! I want to take everyone on our team and remind them why they started, remind them of the passion they had growing up wanting to be a cop….

 

I want to bring us all together and make us number 1, the best of the best! I’m extremely excited to work with each and every one of them!

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My plans of action…

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My plans to increase awareness for victims of crimes, families left behind and our unsolved cases is paramount. You’ll see pictures of these individuals on the wall in the Sheriff’s Office, you’ll see weekly posts across social media discussing the facts and details that we can about the cases. You'll see partnerships with organizations like Crime Stoppers and others that are dedicated to bringing justice to those wronged. Families will get regular calls or visits to let them know they are not forgotten.

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My plans to address the increasing levels of crime will involve proven methods that have been set to the wayside.

 

Bringing back Community Watch Programs, Church Watch, School Watch, Senior Watch and more! Our citizens are begging for ways to get involved and this will absolutely fulfill those needs.

 

Engaging known drug dealers and criminals with a NEW MESSAGE! A message that we are all fed up and that we will no longer tolerate these illegal acts! Sending that message loud and clear with a more visible presence and a mindset of “Do right, be a part of our community in a positive way or GET THE HELL OUT!!!!

 

Utilizing Crime Stoppers and similar programs to the fullest extent gives citizens a way to give tips and remain anonymous. One of the things I want to do is have the Crime Stoppers phone number put on the side of all Law Enforcement Vehicles, so when they respond, neighbors can see the number and make the calls without being seen engaging law enforcement. This will give a better sense of security and safety all while allowing witnesses to provide us with vital information.

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My plans for increased School Safety could have been implemented long ago.

 

GS 162-26 allows the Sheriff to establish a volunteer School Safety Officer program. Imagine retired military and leos that qualify assisting our current SROs, standing guard over our school staff, teachers and students.

 

One person serving each school leaves so many possibilities to the unknown. How can one man or woman cover entire campuses, multiple buildings and hundreds of children, staff and teachers? How many times have we not had crossing guards for lack of coverage? How many times have there been issues at after school events?

 

In my opinion, one person just isn’t enough and many schools don’t have the resources to hire more. A volunteer SRO program has zero negatives and nothing but positives. I can name you multiple retirees that would sign up for this program today.

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My plans for the complete revamp of our current animal control program will simply SAVE LIVES!

 

Imagine a new program that will now be under the Sheriff's Office called Animal Safety and Enforcement, dedicated to serving our citizens and our animals with the highest level of care and respect possible.

 

We will be extremely tough on animal cruelty and abuse, looking to shut down animal fighting rings and other illegal activities. But in my mind, one of the most crucial and biggest improvements will be a volunteer board of passionate and dedicated people who will assist in daily operations but most importantly in a new and innovative way of increasing adoptions and working with the public in spay and neutering practices.

 

Also speaking with our county manager, commissioners and citizens about reaching out to large corporations, potential sponsors and even celebrities to help fund our efforts.

 

Lastly, I never want to see an animal killed because we have no room in our shelter. I just believe with a reasonable amount of time, increased outreach and building a strong network with other No Kill shelters and organizations, we can end that practice in Halifax County. I understand that sometimes health reasons or legal reasons leave no choice but that’s something we cannot control. As far as killing to create more space, I plan to end that!

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My plans to bring back an Inmate Work/ReEntry Program will create a new mindset for those inmates who qualify.

 

We have a massive need for services that we are either paying for now or just are not receiving that inmates could perform. Trustees could work at the Animal Shelter, wash county vehicles, perform lawn maintenance, clean parks and other public areas gaining a sense of community involvement and a sense of purpose. Those who qualify would be able to have their sentence decreased based on the amount of time they work.

 

This program not only benefits our community and the trustees, but it also provides our jail and staff members with less inmates during the day increasing the safety of everyone associated with the jail.

 

The other end to this program is the reentry side of it. Working to instill responsibility and accountability in qualified inmates and then working through local agencies to assist with future employment opportunities.

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My plans to review spending of your tax dollars will instill the most efficient and effective practices in our team. Making sure we are negotiating costs of services we receive and products we purchase is a top priority for me.

 

As a successful small business owner for nearly 20 years, I know what it’s like to have to choose wisely and spend with restrictions. Waste will not happen.

 

There has been public interest in the take home car program. I for one am a fan of this program, it’s a great recruitment tool and honestly the vehicles serve as each deputies office. At the end of the day, these choices are left to the Sheriff, however I’m extremely mindful of fuel cost, tire cost and depreciation from mileage and wear. We must establish a standard followed by all including myself.

 

I will review the current policy with our team and make changes if needed. I also plan to install a program where we obtain services from as many local providers as possible. It’s important to me that responsible, professional tax paying businesses get the opportunity to provide our office with services equally throughout the county.

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My plans for fundraising efforts will ease the burden on the tax payer and allow our office to receive needed equipment and supplies.

 

A Sheriff’s office can receive charitable contributions. The N.C. Sheriffs' Association manual has an entire section titled 2.3.20 Charitable Contributions from the Public. It states that under federal tax law, state and local governments are eligible to receive charitable contributions when the contribution is made exclusively for public purposes.

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That means a donor could potentially contribute toward a legitimate public Sheriff’s office program such as an animal-safety initiative, K-9 program, community-safety equipment, youth/community programs, or other authorized public purposes.

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This mindset will be a game changer for our office, Animal Safety and Enforcement and other specific needs of our communities!

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These are just a few of the initiatives I am bringing to the table. These are NOT some open-ended promises or political tactics, these are commitments and guarantees!

 

If I am elected as your next Sheriff, you will see absolutely every one of these commitments made reality!

 

Our community will be in the loop as we progress and prosper!

 

We will be a team united for one goal…… GREATNESS!

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The best part is there is so much more to come…. Halifax County is coming back!!! And together we will absolutely get it done!!!

 

We’re not electing another deputy, we’re electing a leader!

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We’re electing the person we believe can bring change and that can fix what's desperately in need of repair…. 

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And if given the opportunity, I’m ready to get things done!!!