Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

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September 2, 2010

U.S. Marshals arrest Tazewell County fugitive in Thailand

By CHARLES OWENS Bluefield Daily Telegraph

TAZEWELL, Va.  — A fugitive on the run from Tazewell County authorities for more than two years has been captured in Thailand.

Terry Rollins, age unavailable, of Thailand, and formerly of Tazewell County, was captured in Thailand by the U.S. Marshals Service, Commonwealth Attorney Dennis Lee said.

“He’s been a fugitive for over two years,” Lee said. “The defendant had been convicted in a jury trial in Tazewell County in the ’90s for aggravated sexual battery, and served a substantial penitentiary sentence, and was released from the sentence. Thereafter, he failed to register as a sex offender as required by Virginia law. So a warrant was issued for his arrest, and he apparently already fled, worked his way across the country, flew to Japan and from there to Thailand. The Virginia State Police working with our office and the U.S. Marshal Service were able to track him down, and just last week he was arrested in Thailand.”

Lee said Rollins is currently being held in California where is awaiting extradition back to the state of Virginia. He faces a sentence of up to five years in prison for failing to register as a sex offender.

Lee said the man had apparently been living in Thailand for sometime.

“This is an excellent example of cooperate work between state and federal agencies working together to bring in a sex offender,” Lee said.

Lee said a legal assistant working in his office helped the Virginia State Police and the U.S. Marshal Service track down the man.

– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

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