Lillington investigator named one of top 3 in world

By ROBERT JORDAN Of The Daily Record staff - 12/20/2024

Lillington Police Department Detective Stephen Gardner received two top awards in law enforcement this year for his work dismantling a ring of car thieves that hit 18 dealerships in a four-state area.


Gardner cracked the case working with more than a dozen agencies in linking the ring to 100 stolen vehicles valued at over $5 million throughout the Southeast. More than 12 arrests and 600 charges later Gardner was named one of the top three investigators in the world at an International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada Aug. 1.


Gardner received the 2nd Runner Up as the 2024 IAFCI / Mastercard International Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award at the meeting.


Last month, he was named the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year for the IAFCI Carolinas Chapter at a conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He attended as a speaker and left with the top honor.


Gardner’s work on the case began after thieves broke into a John Heister dealership in Lillington and drove off with 12 high-end vehicles worth a total of $1.2 million on Dec. 9, 2022.


Gardner’s investigation led him to a suspect in the Charlotte area of North Carolina and interviews with that suspect led to search warrants on several other people and places. Through his investigation, Gardner was able to identify 18 different car dealership larcenies in 18 different towns spanning four states. The detective made connections with each agency to bring all of the cases together. He identified 100 stolen vehicles totaling over $5 million in value related to this criminal ring.


Gardner was on the road transporting hurricane relief supplies to the residents of Avery and Mitchell counties in North Carolina when the Record reached him by phone.


"These two counties were some of the hardest hit areas by Hurricane Helene,” said Gardner. "I have been traveling to the mountains every other week since the devastation occurred. I intend to make this bi-monthly trip until relief efforts are no longer needed.”


Lillington Police Department Chief Frank Powers is proud of his award-winning detective. Gardner says he’s grateful for the latitude the chief gave him in working the case.


Gardner’s passion for helping others led him into a successful career in law enforcement more than 20 years ago. He also teaches and serves as commander of the Lillington VFW Chapter. That organization continues to provide resources for relief efforts in the mountains.


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