When you work as a deputy for the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, you’re supposed to enforce the laws not break them – however, according to court records and Vice and Narcotics officer – Lenaira Montea Ruffin – was arrested and charged with Driving While Impaired by the Burlington Police Department.
The results of the administered breath test came in at 0.24, which is three times the 0.08 limit in the state of North Carolina.
Ruffin was released from the custody of Alamance County on a $2500 cash bond paid by the defendant.
The arrest occurred on Friday, Jan. 16.
A source familiar with Ruffin said she had only been with the department for a little over a year but that she had risen through the ranks there quickly and was working in Vice and Narcotics in what one former law enforcement official described as “record time.”
Ruffin, a 30-year-old Burlington resident, studied at Elon University, where she played on the basketball team and was an honor student years before taking a job with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office.
She now has a March 17 court date in Alamance County District Court.
There have been DWIs for Guilford County Sheriff’s Office deputies and non-sworn staff before and there is no automatic dismissal for the act.
A September 23, 2024, memo from the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office outlined a new internal disciplinary standard for Sheriff’s Office employees charged with driving while impaired.
Under that policy, a first DWI offense that results in a sustained internal investigation will bring a divisional-level reprimand, two years of probation, ten consecutive days off without pay and a requirement to attend and complete an alcohol treatment program such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
According to that policy, employees assigned a county vehicle will be reassigned to a position without a vehicle while their criminal case is pending.
That memo further states that any employee with a prior DWI conviction of any kind who’s charged again and faces a sustained investigation will be terminated.
Sheriff Danny Rogers noted in the memo to staff that DWI is a “very serious offense” and he stated that two DWIs will not be tolerated moving forward.
Leading by example is essential in law enforcement, and leadership behavior sets the tone for the entire agency. When concerns arise about professionalism, judgment, or public conduct at the highest level, it inevitably affects morale, credibility, and public trust. An agency’s reputation is shaped by its leadership, and perceptions—fair or not—can impact relationships with partner agencies and the community it serves.
More importantly, impaired driving within law enforcement is not a minor lapse in judgment—it is a serious failure of responsibility. In this case, a deputy with very limited time on the job was arrested for DWI with an alcohol concentration reported to be three times the legal limit. I can’t wait to see a new sheriff get in here. That man has single-handedly destroyed that agency.
What message does it send when employees are hired under a policy that appears to tolerate a DWI without immediate termination? Any policy that creates the perception that impaired driving will not result in serious consequences is fundamentally flawed. Very good article.
If you blow a 24,that’s pretty drunk.
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They’re the ones who cause the accidents, not the 0.11s and 0.14s. Those over 0.20 are driving drunk.
The 0.10s who are regular drinkers are just physiologically relaxed. I know, I’ve been stopping fr a few beers after work for 40+ years – and never had a single accident. Even at roadblocks they clear me – because I’m fine.
The limit needs to be restored to 0.10.
I knew a friend who blowed 24.
Funny
i didn’t get it & am a mathematician. blew 24 ?
You can blow 24, enabled by different types of equipment.
Danny will do nothing to this deputy by way of discipline. She’s not the first and won’t be the last. We can get tickets for texting on our phone while driving, yet we see many deputies out who are texting on their phone while driving. They are not under the same laws that we are and they know that. It was different when BJ was in office. With Danny in office, they can get by with anything they want to get by with and nothing will be done about it. He lost all of the good deputies when he took over because they weren’t willing to deal with all the corruptness that comes from him being in charge. Danny has brought this County down in a big way and that’s a shame. Telling his deputies not to pull over black people for any reason unless they have no choice! That’s just not right at all! He is extremely racist against white people and he’s getting by with it unfortunately. His deputies can go out here and do anything they want to do and there’s no repercussions for their actions. All he cares about is looking like a badass. All he’s really looking like is a clown! He’s just too arrogant to see it.
She wears a Rogers cowboy hat to work.
She’ll be fine.
Are you comparing Danny side-by-side with Trump?
3 times the legal limit should be an automatic dismissal. That shows a problem, as a Deputy should know not to drink and drive and that is SLOSHED! Rogers will fire Deputies for less reasons. Just shows his lack of leadership. How did this female rise up the ranks to a “specialty position” in such a short period of time? Too many Jail deaths, jail escapes (improper releases) Deputy DWI’s, domestic assaults, It’s time for Republicans and Independents to go early vote in February and March 3rd and get a new Sheriff in office. William “Billy” Queen is my vote.
Any deputy that’s been charged with dwi should never be allowed to pull and ticket someone else for that same offense. Pot=kettle! Time to fire all deputies who commit a criminal offense.
Let’s not rush to judgment, guys. I’m sure she’s an exemplary cop given how fast she’s rocketing up the ranks to specialized positions. This was probably just part of her… uh… undercover vice sting.
She’s a black female maybe that explains why she went to the top so fast. Or maybe she’s Danny’s new driver. Getting to the top in that particular department is highly unusual. Ask anyone who’s served in any Police Department Usually 3-5 years
Yet, if it were a county commissioner or city council member, it would be a slap on the wrist, as has happened in the past. Give it a break! I agree with Mike above that it should mean automatic dismissal and be a permanent warning on their record so has not to be rehired in law enforcement. However, ANYONE who is caught DUI who works in city/county/state government or law enforcement should be treated this way as well, and articles in both the Rhino Times and News & Record have proven that to be not the case.
I find it strange that the officer rose in rank so quickly. The time on the job is usually needed to provide a basis for understanding and administering the law. She must really be a “special” person. If you check, you will find Sheriff Rogers also has prior alcohol violation charges, which may explain the tolerant attitude. I’ve said it before, I have to say it again, Guilford County deserves better as do the deputies.
I wish you were back in office
If this is the REAL BJ Barnes, you have a lot of nerve to comment on corruption, with the amount during your your reign of terror on Guilford County, including your racist department and issues of unfairness to POC, which is why Rogers demolished you in your race against him. Your backdoor deals made with Dr. Simmons and the GPAC, now called the Simkins PAC for their support is legendary in the politics of Guilford County. You are a liar and racist that needs to fade back into the black, to watch Rogers win another term in office.
Do we know the time on the job at another department or if this individual was a new hire with no experience?
Do we know this persons understanding and administering the law? Not defending, just not rushing to judgement without facts.
BJ – your commercial with respect to Phil Berger, why do you represent yourself as the current sheriff in the commercial? Appropriate to say “Retired” Guilford County Sheriff. People need to know the facts.
Just curious why. Thank you for your service when you were the Sheriff.
I wondered the same. BJ saying “Hi, I am Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes” . Sounds like he is impersonating Law Enforcement. He is endorsing Berger who is a problem. Just ask the residents of Summerfield. BJ also endorsed Trudy Wade, how did that turn out. He is also endorsing Phil Bird for Sheriff, BJ’s endorsements aren’t looking too good.
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Trudy Wade was a jerk and Berger is a jerk, so if BJ endorses Phil Bird (Byrd?) then I will NOT be voting for him.
BJ was a good sheriff but possesses a certain arrogance that’s unappealing and offputting.
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Yeah, I just listened more closely to the TV when that commercial came on just now.
– He does say “Hi, I’m Guilford County Sheriff B.J. Barnes”.
No you’re not, buddy. Danny Rogers is, whether you like it or not.
Hey folks, go on and say it. DEI prevails.
Nailed it!!
Ms. Ruffin is entitled to her day in court. So I have no opinion, yet.
I have an opinion. She was DRUNK!
Well said
Is there even a policy at the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office anymore? One deputy blows three times the legal alcohol limit and keeps their job. Another gets a second DWI with a loaded gun and children in the car. Another has two DWIs. One deputy with a DWI and a hit-and-run gets fired—while others are protected.
The public relations officer received a DWI the day before the Christmas parade and was still allowed to participate in the parade and drive county vehicles. She was later found guilty. It took an unusually long time to even locate her county vehicle—it wasn’t at her residence.
Despite that, she kept her job, kept her pay, and has since been issued a new county vehicle. What in the hell is going on at the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office under Danny Rogers? This kind of inconsistency is dangerous. Somebody is going to get killed.
And don’t forget the detention officer from about a year and a half ago who allegedly choke-slammed his girlfriend against a wall. When law enforcement arrived, it was his own agency, and a felony warrant was immediately issued. He is still employed today. Over a year later, there has still been no court date. A month or so after the first incident and yes an additional domestic assault, he has allegedly been arrested again for another domestic violence assault and spent the night in jail.
Where does this end?
Citizens of Greensboro and Guilford County—read between the lines.
If she wears a Sheriff Danny Rogers cowboy hat she is okay.
What are you going to do, when you need a sheriff, and Danny sends one that is drunk
or he is too busy sliding down a hill on a sled, or doing these parades and photo ops. Does he ever work in the office? Or he maybe at the Cigar and Burbon lounge with his County vehicle. Hope he locks his doors so it wont get stolen again. Is Guilford County getting the leadership from him and his $215,000 salary? Conservatives got to get out and vote next month for William “Billy” Queen. Starting February 12th. He will provide a new direction, leadership and do away with all the “dog and pony” shows
He thinks he’s out getting votes. He’s not. Not in my area anyway. He’s a clown and everyone knows it. He’s as corrupt as they come. That’s why dozens of good officers quit when he took over and started dictating. They wanted no part of it. That’s why people don’t want to become deputies right now, because they don’t want to work under him. Everybody with any common Sense knows exactly what Danny Rogers is. He walks around with that chest puffed out like he’s some superhero. He’s not. He never has been. It’s all about image for him. Allowing his deputies to behave this way and get by with it is ridiculous. They should be automatically fired. Just like anybody on the city council or Guilford County commissioners. They should be released of duty immediately. They should not be allowed to get by with this because of who they are. That’s not fair. Guilford County used to be a good place to live. Not anymore. Not with who we have in charge. Skip Alston runs the county anyway he wants to and the commissioners roll over and let it happen. Nobody tries to stand up to him. Him and Danny are buddies so there you have that. They back each other up no matter how criminal it is. I wish there was a federal agency we could call to come in and take a look at the way the county is run. I don’t know who that would be though. There is so much wrong going on in Guilford County it’s not funny. Skippy boy is funneling tax money through 501s and putting it in his pocket because he runs those. And unfortunately, it looks like there’s nothing any of us can do about it because nobody’s willing to step in and stop him. He’s going to keep running this County till he runs us all in the ground and takes all of our property away from us. With the tax hikes and property increases, none of us can afford to keep our property if it keeps going. And Danny boy is going to sit back and rack in his share of the profits for turning his eye to everything going on in the city and the county.
Is it true Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers has his own personal Chauffeur who is a county employee? Is it true that this individual is not a sworn officer but armed with a pistol while on duty? Maybe Sheriff Rogers could share his Chauffeur with other members of the Guilford County Sheriff’s Dept. when they are over served?