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Federal immigration official charged with second OUI

E-mail|Link|Comments () September 28, 2009 01:39 PM

By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff

A civil federal immigration official is set to face a judge in Quincy District Court today after he allegedly led Weymouth police on a chase early Sunday morning where speeds topped 100 miles an hour.

Omar Hernandez (Weymouth Police photo)

Omar Hernandez is an immigration services officer for the Boston office of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, according to agency spokesman Bill Wright. “At USCIS, we are not law enforcement so he (Hernandez) has absolutely no law enforcement role whatsoever,’’ Wright said.

Hernandez has worked for the federal agency, part of the US Department of Homeland Security, since Sept. 18, 2005. Earlier today, he asked a supervisor for permission to take accumulated leave, a request that was granted, Wright said.

“This is leave he requested and this is leave he already had earned,’’ said Wright. “He is being paid.’’

According to David Traub, spokesman for Norfolk District Attorney William Keating’s office and police, Hernandez was spotted by Weymouth police speeding as he exited off Route 3 into the South Shore town and got onto Route 18 southbound.

Police said an officer in the 400 block of Route 18 spotted Hernandez speed past in a black Mercedes around 2:37 a.m. on Sunday. Police pursued Hernandez at speeds that reached 110 miles an hour until he suddenly stopped his car in the middle of Route 18 near Park Avenue – and refused orders to get out of the vehicle.

“He didn’t want to get out of the car,’’ said Weymouth Police Captain James Mullin, who said officers never had a chance to ask Hernandez to perform field sobriety tests. “It was more of a wrestling match than a field sobriety test.’’

Mullin said Hernandez was charged with drunken driving, second offense, based on the observations of officers who allegedly smelled alcohol and saw that Hernandez had glassy eyes.

Hernandez was released on $1,000 cash bail and arrived at the courthouse this morning for his arraignment, Traub said.

Wright said Hernandez’s job is to meet with the public as they come into the Boston office and make their first contact with the USCIS, which handles visas and other noncriminal immigration issues for the federal government.

Wright said Hernandez has a G-9 pay rating. According to federal pay scales, as a G-9 Hernandez would earn between $50,769 and $66,000 annually. His actual pay was not available today.