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Convict, former resident, escapes from custody A 45-year-old inmate described as one of the busiest criminals in Southern Oregon escaped from custody Thursday while on a Salem-area work crew. According to Medford police, Chester Carlton Westfall, also known as Chester Hugo, was last seen around 12:30 p.m. at the Oregon State Hospital Warehouse in Salem, where his work was assigned. According to Jackson County officials, Westfall was well known in the Southern Oregon for recruiting small-time hustlers and drug addicts to do his dirty work. At one point his wife Nancy was accused of stealing mail for him and cashing checks he made on his computer. In January, Westfall was sentenced to 34 months in prison for racketeering, theft and forgery. At that time he faced dozens additional charges in three Southern Oregon counties including burglary, fraud, possession of a firearm and drug trafficking. Westfall was last seen wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt with inmate logos. He is described as a 6-foot-1-inch tall white male, 220 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Distinguishing marks include a cleft chin, a scar on his chest and a scar on his right shoulder. Police say the convicted scam artist is "proficient with disguises." Westfall�s record in Oregon dates back to 1978. In addition, in 1982 he was convicted on felony theft and drug charges in Arkansas. In the early �90s, Westfall launched a brief ministry in Rogue River, coached the Rogue River High School boys basketball team for one season and started a construction company. After those enterprises collapsed, Westfall fell back in his old ways. According to court records, he has been convicted five times since 1996 on a variety of drug and forgery charges. Anyone with information on Westfall�s whereabouts is asked to contact the Oregon Department of Corrections Fugitive Apprehension Unity at (503) 378-6111 or Medford police Detective Sue Campbell at 774-2235. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA