Tech-savvy DuPage detective honored by lawyers

A tech-savvy DuPage County detective who has made behind-the-scenes contributions to numerous criminal investigations was honored Wednesday by the Illinois State Bar Association.

Detective Dave Chiesa, a 16-year veteran of the DuPage County Sheriff's office, is one of three recipients of the state bar award, which recognizes “those who truly excel in the field of law enforcement.”

“It's just very humbling to be recognized outside your own agency,” Chiesa said. “I'm honored.”

The 38-year-old Wheaton resident received the 2011 Law Enforcement Award for his expertise in drafting search warrants to obtain cellphone and cell tower records. Unlike search warrants for other types of evidence, warrants for cellphone records often are very technical and require an intimate understanding of the technology, officials said.

“I can't say everything comes back to phones,” Chiesa said. “But in this day and age of technology, that's generally how a lot of our cases are getting solved.”

Chiesa, who began with the sheriff's office as a corrections officer in 1995, said he always had an affinity for computers. He started developing his technical expertise shortly after joining the sheriff's cold case detective unit in 2004.

Now as a member of the DuPage County Major Crimes Task Force, Chiesa often is called out to assist with murder and attempted murder investigations.

“He's the best detective when it comes to electronic investigation,” said Sheriff John Zaruba, Chiesa's boss. “He's very tech savvy. He's the guy we rely on for all the electronic search warrants.”

DuPage bar association President Steven M. Ruffalo, who nominated the detective for the award, called Chiesa “a tireless worker.”

“He has the skill and the know-how to issue search warrants based on digitally stored data — cellphone records and computer records — that give law enforcement and the prosecutorial arm the ability to have what they need quickly and efficiently,” Ruffalo said.

Chiesa assisted Oak Brook police on New Year's Day 2010 after Melissa Bridgewater, 45, of Bolingbrook, was gunned down outside an Oak Brook hotel.

Bridgewater's former husband, Jerry L. Hudson, has been charged with first-degree murder in what police called an “execution-style” slaying. Hudson, who turned himself in to police two days after the shooting, is awaiting trial. During the investigation, authorities traced Hudson's cellphone to the murder scene.

State's Attorney Robert Berlin said Chiesa's efforts in that case and others have been invaluable.

“Dave has tremendous expertise, but he's also relentless,” Berlin said. “He continues to investigate cases long after they're charged.”