UNDERCOVER WORK Youngstown officer earns national honor

The officer worked undercover to infiltrate a motorcycle gang.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Patrolman Frank Rutherford says he and his partner were so convincing while working undercover a few years ago that the gang they were investigating wanted them to join.
"They liked to party," Rutherford, 28, a 41/2-year member of the Youngstown Police Department, said of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club, an outlaw biker gang.
The gang members talked of drugs and guns and even asked him and Frank D'Alesio, a federal agent, to become members.
Nomination
Because of his work, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has named Rutherford Officer of the Month for March 2005.
He will receive the award in May 2006 during National Police Week in Washington, D.C. He was nominated by his supervisor, Detective Sgt. Zaida Miranda.
The national organization said there are three traits for which Rutherford is admired: fearless dedication to duty, devotion to community service and extreme sense of compassion toward the residents of Youngstown.
Rutherford said he was asked to infiltrate the gang by D'Alesio, when D'Alesio was resident agency in charge of the U.S. Treasury Department's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He has since been transferred to Alabama.
Looking the part
D'Alesio already looked the part of a gang member with his long hair and beard. Rutherford, a member of the Youngstown police blue division, shaved his head, grew a beard and wore earrings.
"It was interesting. It was just neat to do something like that," Rutherford said of infiltrating the gang in West Virginia.
His mission was to support the ATF undercover agents who had already infiltrated the club and gather as much information as possible about the club members and their illicit activities.
The evidence gathered by Rutherford and the federal agents led to a two-day sting operation involving 300 officers across five states.
The sting resulted in 34 arrest warrants, 47 federal search warrants and the confiscation of over 120 firearms. In addition, body armor, $25,000 in cash and significant amounts of powdered cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana were uncovered.
Soon after this operation, Rutherford once again cooperated with ATF in the investigation of a homicide in Columbus.
He collected information from a reliable informant regarding the whereabouts of the fugitive suspect and located him at a busy restaurant.
Working with a team of agents, Rutherford developed a plan to apprehend the suspect outside the restaurant. The arrest was made without incident, according to the announcement.
Community service
Rutherford also is involved in community service, organizing fund-raising activities to benefit local charities and help subsidize the travel expenses of survivors of officers killed in the line of duty wishing to participate in National Police Week in Washington, D.C.
He said there are so many other officers who should be recognized for their daily work.
Originally from Brownsville, Pa., Rutherford came here to play football and study at Youngstown State University.
He played guard and was a captain of the 1997 1-AA national championship football team and a captain on the 1999 co-national championship team.
He received his degree in law enforcement at YSU, where he is completing his master's.
Rutherford is currently on light duty. He has a hairline fracture of the right foot he received while skipping rope during a workout five weeks ago.
Rutherford, of Youngstown, is married to the former Amy Maynard. They have two children, Kayla, 5, and Brennan, 2.