Traffic stop turns federal
By JOLENE CRAIG, jcraig@newsandsentinel.com
POSTED: February 1, 2008
PARKERSBURG — A traffic stop on Interstate 77 early Wednesday afternoon has turned into a full-scale federal investigation into a ring of illegal immigrants, an official said.
Sgt. Dave Westfall of the Wood County Sheriff’s Department said he stopped a box truck that drove past a weigh station on I-77 and thought the driver had drugs.
“It started out as a drug intervention stop, but the driver was missing everything a truck driver needs,” Westfall said.
The truck did not have a rear license plate, no registration and no log book for the driver.
The driver, Rogerick Lockhart, 34, of Winston-Salem, N.C., tried to flee when Westfall removed him from the truck. Lockhart also would not remove his hands from his pockets.
What Westfall did find in the truck’s cab was a Chinese man who spoke no English and had no identification.
“He’s an illegal immigrant in the United States,” Westfall said. “He came to the States in 2005 on a visitor’s visa and just stayed.”
Westfall received the information from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), which has been keeping Westfall informed on the situation.
To get more information on the unnamed Chinese man, Westfall contacted the company whose name was on the side of the truck, Grace Foods.
“All of the people there spoke Chinese and very little English, but they did give me a contact in New York City,” Westfall said. “The man in Manhattan or Brooklyn couldn’t give me any information, including the name of the man we had in custody.”
Westfall said not only is the INS involved, but also Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
“The Feds are now looking into how many other employees are illegal immigrants,” Westfall said. “This is going to be a full operation and investigation.”
Apparently, the company is paying for Chinese citizens to illegally enter the United States and is running a cash-only operation, Westfall said.
The Chinese passenger is being detained by the INS.
Lockhart was charged with obstructing an officer and possession of a small amount of marijuana by Westfall, and the West Virginia Department of Transportation charged him with passing a weigh station, no registration, no license plate and no log book. Lockhart was arraigned in the Wood County Magistrate Court and released on bond.
