City of Loveland Officer Michael Wright was recognized at the Hamilton County Police Association’s Annual Awards & Installation Banquet held Jan. 12 in Montgomery.
Wright was a co-recipient of the Clarence “Cid” Caesar (Cincinnati P.D.) Award for Investigation Demonstrating Interagency Cooperation to recognize his work with multiple agencies during a 2022 credit card skimmer investigation. Senior Special Agent Rick Naltner of the United States Secret Service (USSS) also received the award.
“The cooperation by Officer Wright with local, state, and federal authorities uncovered a series of crimes affecting our region. Their combined efforts led to the identification of suspects who have been charged with numerous federal crimes,” explained Chief Michael Gabrielson of the Loveland Police Department (LPD).
In the investigation, Wright was contacted by a Loveland citizen who believed her credit card had been compromised. Wright discovered covert credit card skimmers added to the gas pumps at a local station.
Ultimately, Wright arranged for the USSS to collect the skimmers for analysis, which located two suspects responsible for sizeable financial losses to citizens and businesses across Greater Cincinnati. With assistance from the numerous agencies where the crimes were committed, the US Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, USSS and LPD, the suspects were charged with credit card fraud, also known as access device fraud.
Wright joined LPD in July 2021. He previously worked for the Pigeon Forge (Tennessee) Police Department and US Department of State. While patrol work is his current focus, he has experience in investigations, SWAT, protective detail, officer instruction, Spanish translation, and community relations. Wright holds a Master’s in Justice Administration from the University of the Cumberlands.