Brad Zinn

bzinn@newsleader.com

FISHERSVILLE - Moments after a News Leader photographer and a reporter pulled in and parked in a quiet Fishersville cul-de-sac Monday afternoon, it became a beehive of activity.

An armed security guard, parked in the driveway of Nexus Services Inc. CEO Mike Donovan, slipped out of his vehicle and made a call. A neighbor across the street began recording the reporter and photographer with a cellphone. Within minutes, the company's director of risk management was on the spot. Roughly 45 minutes later, Donovan himself and another man arrived on the scene.

Welcome to the Windward Pointe subdivision, where suspicion reigns.

Donovan and his partner and vice president, Richard Moore, recently sued Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith, four county employees and others in a $1.2 million federal lawsuit that alleges racial and ethnic harassment, deprivation of constitutional rights and "insulting words."

The lawsuit accuses David Bourne, a Verona bail bondsman, of conspiring with Donald Moran, an Augusta County deputy and Bourne's former employee, along with others "to halt the nation's most successful charitable bonding program," according to court records. Besides Smith, other defendants include Sheriff's Investigator Michael Roane, Augusta County Commissioner of the Revenue W. Jean Shrewsbury and Gene R. Ergenbright, an Augusta County tax auditor.

On Monday, Eric Schneider, Nexus' director of risk management, was asked why an armed security detail is needed in such a quiet, well-kempt neighborhood that sits near the Fishersville Food Lion.

"As a citizen of the United States, you have a right to secure your home," said Schneider, who hails from Chicago and has a private law enforcement and military background, according to information provided by Nexus.

Schneider said he has known Donovan and Moore for about a decade, and said he jumped at the opportunity to work for Nexus. "They are two of the best people I have ever met," he said.

Days ago, Schneider said two "no trespassing" signs that were facing homeowners living behind Donovan's house were removed from a fence and then hung on the other side of the fence facing Donovan's home. That prompted a call to Virginia State Police. No charges were filed.

As Schneider spoke, an unidentified neighbor walking along the edge of Donovan's property, about 100 yards away, kept a close eye on the activity taking place in front of Donovan's residence.

When told that more than one neighbor has complained to The News Leader about the visible armed presence in the subdivision, Schneider said, "This is actually a great neighborhood with great people on the street."

Many of those people are affiliated with Nexus in one way or another, and Donovan said his company owns nearly a dozen homes in the subdivision that are rented out by Nexus. The company also has homes in Waynesboro, Stuarts Draft, Harrisonburg, Fairfield and Lexington, he said.

Donovan said he's made an effort to tone down security around his Fishersville home, but said he needs it "because I can't trust the police here." Specifically, he said, he doesn't trust the Augusta County Sheriff's Office.

Donovan alleges he's been harassed by deputies ever since he filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the sheriff's office earlier this year.

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The CEO said the alleged harassment has prompted him to install dashboard cameras in all of his company's security vehicles in an effort to record activity by the sheriff's office when and if any of his employees are engaged by deputies. One of the dashboard cameras recently recorded deputies pulling up to Donovan's home and questioning a security guard about a vehicle on his property.

Donovan said sheriff's deputies continue to canvass his neighborhood and said they often park cruisers in a nearby parking lot overlooking his residence. He said sheriff's deputies make frequent passes by his Verona-based business as well, which is on a dead-end road.

In the lawsuit, Nexus also contends that sheriff's office employees in two vehicles aggressively surrounded Donovan's car in May while it was driving down a highway, cutting him off from his security vehicle.

"This is like stuff out of a movie," Donovan said Monday. "It's ridiculous."

When asked for comment, Sheriff Donald Smith said he was prevented from speaking about the allegations because of the pending lawsuit.

As for his neighbors, Donovan conceded that having an armed presence might raise some eyebrows, but he said there are just a handful of people in the neighborhood that don't seem to appreciate his being in the subdivision.

After his "no trespassing" signs were removed, Donovan said he now has plans to replace the farm fencing behind his home and will instead erect 6-foot tall privacy fences.

"I thought it was cute," Donovan said of the farm fencing that is about to fall by the wayside.

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Besides its charitable bonding program, Nexus also provides GPS tracking to detained immigrants so they can be released while awaiting immigration court hearings. The firm has several private and nonprofit subsidiary services, including renting property to some of its clients. A year ago, Nexus broke ground on a $22 million headquarters in Verona and recently celebrated its grand opening.

The company says it operates nearly 30 offices across the nation.