Sheriff's deputies use sting to catch suspect
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on August 23, 2009 2:00 AM
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Michael Laverne Suggs
After a rash of recent motorcycle and four-wheeler thefts, detectives from the Sheriff's Office took a new approach -- pick a four-wheeler to watch, then wait for it to be stolen.
The technique worked, according to arresting officer Larry N. Mitchell, who along with other officers found two allegedly stolen vehicles at a Farmville man's home.
Michael Laverne Suggs, 34, of Burnette Road, was charged with two counts of felonious possession of stolen property and one felony-level count of larceny of a motor vehicle, Capt. Tom Effler said in a news release.
Suggs allegedly took the four-wheeler being watched by lawmen early in the morning on Thursday, Effler reported.
Along with the Yamaha four-wheeler that detectives had surveilled in the eastern end of Wayne County, a 2005 Suzuki motorcycle was found at Suggs' property, lawmen said.
The motorcycle had been reported stolen in December from a Theo Drive residence off of Hood Swamp Road, authorities said.
Sheriff Carey Winders said that his detective division was reponsible for the innovative approach to catching an alleged thief.
"They put in extra man hours to conduct this," Winders said. "I would also like to urge the public to report any suspicious activity they might see. These thefts are occurring in the daytime and nighttime."
Suggs was jailed under a $10,000 bond for the offenses, the Sheriff's Office reported.