ALAMANCE COUNTY -- Alamance County authorities are searching for three girls who Sheriff Terry Johnson says were last seen with the man at the center of a human trafficking investigation. When deputies began their search, Sheriff Johnson says they didn't have much to go on except for a gut feeling that something was not right.
"We had to develop a task force and pull people from everything we've got because this has grown so big," said Sheriff Terry Johnson.
At a news conference Monday, Sheriff Johnson said his officers were looking for three girls who Aris Hines tried to enroll in an Alamance County School. The girls were denied enrollment because "the documents were not correct." The sheriff says the girls have not been seen since and when questioned, he says Hines denied any knowledge of the incident at the school.
"This causes me folks, grave concern for where these young ladies are at," Sheriff Johnson said Monday.
He asked the public for help and by Tuesday afternoon, Sheriff Johnson said he'd received "numerous leads."
"We... have a tentative sighting of one of the girls that we are trying to run that lead down now," said Sheriff Johnson.
Sheriff Johnson says the tip will take investigators to a neighboring county. That's all he was willing to say.
"I have given my people permission to chase whatever rabbits wherever they go to even other states or whatever."
Sheriff Johnson said his officers also received an unconfirmed report there could be a fourth girl missing. Officers are still investigating that claim.
"We have got to know what has gone on here because there is a tremendous amount of young people that has been brought from foreign countries, Dominican Republic and Nigeria and we need to find these kids."
This investigation started back in April after Eastern High School administrators got a report of improper student information. Deputies began a possible fraud and obstruction of justice case surrounding a student-athlete who is originally from Nigeria.
"[Brandi Thomason] had false documentation giving her quote legal custody or guardianship of the young man. So to the people at the school and everybody else, [Thomason and Hines] had just taken this young man and was raising him," said Sheriff Johnson.
Sheriff Johnson says the Nigerian student was living with the couple in Orange County and also in a house on Holt Street in Mebane with other minors and no adult supervision.
Soon, the Department of Social Services got involved and the boy was placed with another local family. Sheriff Johnson says that decision made Hines angry and revengeful.
"Mr. Hines waits until the football season is over and basketball season is over, calls the coach and threatens the coach, 'I'll destroy your career.'" said Sheriff Johnson. "From there, Mr. Hines goes down to North Carolina High School Athletic Association and says hey, 'I want to report that Eastern Alamance High School is using an illegal player' to get the coach back, not realizing it was going to backfire on him."
Eastern High School was stripped of 28 football and basketball games and ordered to repay $19,000 in playoff gate receipts.
By this point, Sheriff Johnson says he had enough evidence to charge Hines and his fiance, Brandi Thomason, with Felony Common Law Obstruction of Justice and Obtaining Property By False Pretense.fiance, Brandi Thomason, with Felony Common Law Obstruction of Justice and Obtaining Property By False Pretense.
Sheriff Johnson says," this juvenile was supposedly brought [to the United States from Nigeria] to attend Evelyn Mac Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina and he did not attend that academy."
He says he is making contact with the boy's family in Nigeria to learn more about what might have been promised.
He added, "There is someone in these other countries that are shipping these kids to this individual which is a common denominator of your human trafficking."
Sheriff Johnson suspects Hines and Thomason are part of a larger human trafficking organization however, the couple has not been charged with that crime.
"Theres something that is not right here and I can't quite put my finger on it," said Sheriff Johnson.
Hines and Thomason were originally held under a $3 million bond each but a judge lowered it to $10,000. As a condition of his release, Hines is not allowed to have contact with any children who are not blood relatives, may not speak to the Nigerian student involved in this case, may not go to any Alamance-Burlington school or athletic field and may not speak to any families or schools about recruiting.
Hines told WFMY News 2 he could not speak about the allegations but did say, "the truth will soon be known."