State trooper says ‘strong case’ remains in Cass Railroad investigation

The investigating state police trooper in a state park theft case expects a group of park workers to be indicted for a second time later this year.

Cpl. Mark Agee told MetroNews he still has a strong case against several current and former workers at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in Pocahontas County.

“The employees were taking metal from Cass State Park and taking it to scrap yards and obtaining cash or checks for that and pocketing that money,” Agee said.

The investigation showed $35,000 of metal was sold to two different scrap yards.

The original indictments obtained last December from a Pocahontas County grand jury were dismissed because of a wording mistake on the indictments. Agee said he expects the re-indictments during the August grand jury.

There were originally 11 people indicted but Agee expects the number to be slightly reduced in August. He said former Cass Superintendent David Caplinger, who was indicted on one count of conspiracy, passed a polygraph test.

Current Cass Superintendent Rob Sovine filed the initial complaint with police in 2011. Agee said Sovine also passed a polygraph test.

The state Division of Natural Resources confirmed Monday that two of the original 11 workers indicted have returned to work at the park — Rex Cassell, of Cass, and Christopher Lambert, 29, of Durbin.





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