The Lewis County, Ky., Sheriff’s Office is hot on the trail of the man they say shot a Lewis County man in a murder-for-hire scheme.

Authorities now have put a name to the face captured on video in a money exchange. He is Wesley Bernard Allen, 45, of 2001 Bahama Road, Bahama, N.C., which is in the Raleigh-Durham area.

Allen is described as a black male, 6-feet 2-inches tall, weighing about 230 pounds.

John Jamison, 47, was shot in the upper jaw, arm and torso at his Montgomery Road residence last Friday.

“We had a video where these guys, (Gary) Robinson and the shooter had met probably 30 minutes before the shooting,” Lewis County Sheriff Bill Lewis said. “We identified Robinson and we arrested Robinson last Friday. But the shooter, nobody knew him, and we suspected he may be from Virginia. We held that information for a while, and finally we got WSAZ TV to come down here and run that clip on their evening news last (Tuesday) night and — bam. Within 30 minutes, we got a call.”

It was upon following the leads they received that the investigation started moving forward.

“Through this video tape and public assistance, we made this identification, and with (Deputy) Dwayne (Stone) working with other police agencies, we got the warrant. We faxed it off and entered it into NCIC (National Crime Information Center), and he’s on the run. There is some information he may have been shot in the face. We can’t determine that 100 percent, but that is the information we are receiving,” Lewis said. “But this morning, Dwayne received a few more calls identifying him as the man they saw on TV.”

Stone said through the identification of the shooter, he has been working around the clock to obtain warrants to have Allen arrested.

“We believe that he is in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., area,” Stone said. “He travels back and forth between there and Virginia. We have received numerous calls that the subject has tried to borrow money from co-workers and friends. We don’t know if he is aware of what is going on, or if he knows we’re looking for him. We don’t know yet.”

Stone said the company Allen works for knows they are looking for him and have been cooperating with Lewis County authorities.

“I’m working with the Durham County Sheriff’s Department. Sgt. Davis has been very helpful, as has Sgt. Williams. They are attempting now to execute our warrant there. It’s the same thing Kentucky has to do if an out-of-state warrant comes in. They have to get a Fugitive From Justice warrant, and get it signed by a judge. They use that warrant to hold them for us.”

Stone said Lewis County authorities are still receiving information from numerous sources.

“We believe that this was a hit that Mr. Robinson and Mr. Allen, the shooter, were involved in,” Stone said. “They worked together for the C.W. Wright Company, which is based out of Virginia, and Mrs. (Dana) Jamison and Mr. Robinson have a child together, so we don’t know if this is a custody thing or what.”

Robinson is free but on house arrest after posting $100,000 cash bond Wednesday morning.

“I’d like to compliment my Deputy Dwayne Stone, the lead investigator,” Lewis said. “It has been a team effort in this case. Dwayne has done a lot of heavy lifting in this case. It’s a … good case, and I’m proud of my boys down here.”

Lewis said lawbreakers should not underestimate the abilities of those working in his department.

“Let me make a statement,” Lewis said. “If you come to my beloved Lewis County and intend to commit a crime, we will turn every stone, pull every tree, look under every leaf, and we will catch you.”

FRANK LEWIS can be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232