Trash companies in feud

By Uriah A. Kiser

Published: May 1, 2008

STAFFORD — An escalating feud between two rival garbage disposal companies — Stafford-based Shifflett’s Trash Service and Davis Disposal of Spotsylvania — has resulted in one man being arrested, and another left hoping someone does not get killed in an escalating dispute.

The altercation

On April 16, Danny Shifflett and employees from Shifflett’s Trash Service distributed fliers advertising the company’s garbage removal services in the Ashleigh Park subdivision of Spotsylvania County.

Eugene “Bubba” Shifflett, owner of Shifflett’s Trash Service, said he wants to expand his trash collection services into the county. Like many other waste removal services, Shifflett provides a toter cart and collects curbside trash from customer’s homes at least once per week.
Though Shifflett said his marketing efforts in Spotsylvania have been limited to only door hangers, his employees have recently seen those fliers being removed from the doors just minutes after hanging them, and not by homeowners. After hanging several fliers on April 16, Danny Shifflett, son of Eugene, returned to the Ashleigh Park neighborhood less than an hour later to see if his fliers were still there. They weren’t.

Danny Shifflett told authorities he found Davis Disposal employees removing the fliers and putting them in the trash, according to a report filed with Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office.

“This has been going on for a while now. We’re trying to expand our business into Spotsylvania County and they don’t want us there,” said Eugene Shifflett. “I think Spotsylvania should have a choice as to who picks up their trash.”

Danny Shifflett confronted William Woodrow Davis of Davis Disposal, who was allegedly removing the fliers, according to Sgt. Liz Scott, Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman.

According to the report, Davis and his crew began to attack Shifflett, causing damage to his truck and damaging the driver’s side mirror. Shifflett told authorities that when he tried to escape and call police, members of the Davis crew used their vehicles to corner his truck, blocking his escape, according to Scott.
When sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene, all of the members of the Davis crew had fled, leaving just Danny Shifflett.

Later that evening, Shifflett requested a warrant be issued for William Woodrow Davis’ arrest, however the county magistrate denied his request, according to Scott.

Representatives from Davis Disposal refused requests to comment on this story.

Garbage trucks
vandalized

On April 4, 10 garbage trucks belonging to Shifflett’s Trash Service were vandalized. The crime happened in the company-owned lot, at 66 Le Way Drive in South Stafford.

Though the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into who was behind the vandalism, Eugene Shifflett said the response he received from the law enforcement agency was slow. Shifflett said he waited three days to hear from a county detective.

“I don’t think there is a law enforcement agency anywhere in this region that has the resources they need to conduct the business they need to do,” said Stafford County Sheriff Charles Jett.

Jett said that once the call came in April 4, his detectives were at the crime scene processing evidence the day the crime occurred.

In addition to broken windshields, which alone rendered the trucks undrivable according to Department of Transportation standards, deputies found the windshield of a Shifflett employee’s car had been shot out with a rifle.

After the incident, Eugene Shifflett said new security cameras and lighting were installed at his fleet yard. Shifflett also began armed stakeouts at the property; noting that he suspected the vandals would come either late at night or during the early morning hours.

“If I see anyone go into that lot after it’s locked up, I’m going to shoot the tires to their car out,” said Shifflett. “This thing has escalated so much that I’m afraid someone is going to die here.”

The investigation into the vandalism has since been turned over to the Virginia State Police. The state police “are investigating a suspect that may be involved in another incident in another locality who also may be involved in the Shifflett incident,” according to Bill Kennedy, Stafford County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.

The state police confirmed that they are now handling the case, but would not comment further on the investigation.

Davis arrested

On April 26, Spotsylvania authorities arrested William Woodrow Davis on a class one misdemeanor charge, according to court documents.

Eugene Shifflett said that one week before Davis’ arrest, both he and his family received threatening phone calls on their cell phones from Davis.

After reaching a boiling point, Danny Shifflett and Davis agreed to settle their differences in the Target parking lot in Central Park, according to Natasha Bledsoe, Fredericksburg Police spokeswoman. Bledsoe said Danny Shifflett alerted Fredericksburg authorities that an altercation between Davis and himself was going to take place outside of the retail store April 19.

“We were all down there that night, and the police just swarmed in. They were all over the place,” said Eugene Shifflett.

Nothing did happen that evening, according to Bledsoe, and nothing more than an informational report was filed.

“There was no criminal action here, but we did want something on file saying that we came out,” said Bledsoe.

After the Central Park incident, Danny Shifflett requested a warrant for Davis’ arrest, this time on the charge of harassment.

Davis was later released from jail on a summons, according to court documents.

The sex offender fliers

On March 13, Charles William Davis, Sr., then owner of Davis Disposal, was arrested for failing to register two motor vehicles with the state Sex Offender Registry.

Prior to his arrest, Spotsylvania County investigators received phone calls from some Spotsylvania residents, saying they had seen an unusual and unfamiliar license plate on a car outside of Davis’ home.

When a Virginia State Police investigator went to Davis’ home on Massaponax Church Road in Fredericksburg to investigate, he discovered Davis had not recorded two vehicles with the registry, as he is required to do by law.

Davis was arrested and charged with two felonies — providing false information and failing to provide vehicle registration. Davis had been registered as a violent sex offender in 1989, after a conviction of aggravated sexual battery of a minor.

Police hailed his March arest saying the public played an instrumental role bringing the matter to their attention.

Following Charles William Davis’ March arrest, fliers appeared in the Timberlake neighborhood of Spotsylvania, alerting neighbors that Davis had been arrested on the felony charges, and that “funding his company means you fund his actions. Getting his company out of our neighborhood keeps him out.”

“We don’t know where the fliers came from,” said Eugene Shifflett. “We actually got one on our truck one day when we were down there; It’s probably just someone who is concerned down there and lives in the neighborhood.”

Cindy Combs, a Timberlake resident, said she received one of the fliers weeks after fliers advertising Shifflett’s trash removal services. She said she doesn’t know where it came from.

“I think that it’s good every time a new trash service comes around; sometimes we get new companies come in, but then they are usually bought out by Davis,” said Combs. “ I find it interesting that these fliers showed up after Shifflett brought his fliers through.”

The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office is also aware of the fliers, according to Scott, but they also say they don’t know who is distributing them.

According to the Virginia State Police Sex Offender Web site, using information found on the sex offender registry site for the purposes of intimidation or harassment is punishable as a class one misdemeanor.

The feud continues

Eugene Shifflett said he will keep watch on his property, making sure that the vandals who broke his windshields do not return.

“I just don’t want anyone to get hurt over all of this; I’m not going to retaliate, but I will keep watch over what’s mine,” he said.

Shifflett said the harassing and threatening phone calls have continued, and he has been advised to request an arrest warrant each time.

“When you run a business full time, it’s awfully hard to leave and spend so much time in the magistrate’s office,” said Shifflett.

Danny Shifflett said this has put a strain on him and his family business, but it won’t stop him from looking to expand.

“I’m tired of dealing with [Davis Disposal] but the best way you can get back at ‘em is to just keep signing up new stops and keep taking their revenue,” said Danny Shifflett.

The Shiffletts say the ongoing feud has cost the company nearly $20,000 so far.

According to state documents, Judy Davis, wife of Charles William Davis, now owns the company.

The Virginia State Police continue to investigate the case.