Nice .... This looks like it happend a while back, but just making the wire. I like UP's use of hidden cameras!
http://www.nwaonline.com/news/2015/aug/04/man-charged-in-theft-of-railroad-wiring/
TEXARKANA -- The theft of copper wire from railroad tracks in Texarkana in April created a public hazard, a prosecutor said.
Prosecutors in Miller County formally charged Jeffrey Duane Procella, 39, last week in theft of metal and felony criminal mischief in the removal of signal wire from a Union Pacific Corp. railroad track in Texarkana.
When signal wire is damaged, the flow of critical railroad information is disrupted. Malfunctioning signals have the potential to cause a train wreck.
"What looks like something small could create a big danger to the public," Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Cotten said.
Procella is accused of stealing copper wire from the tracks near the Union Pacific signal box near Pinehurst Street in Texarkana, according to a probable-cause affidavit.
Union Pacific reported about 30 feet of "signal shunt wire" stolen from the tracks on the morning of April 19. Because of earlier thefts, railroad personnel had installed a video camera in the area and were able to provide surveillance footage to investigators.
While a detective and a Union Pacific signalman were returning the memory card to the surveillance camera near the scene of the wire thefts, Procella walked up "to the row and onto the tracks near where" the signalman had just repaired the shunt wires, the affidavit said. The investigator noticed a resemblance between Procella and the images of the man stealing the wire caught on camera, the affidavit said.
Procella has been in jail since his arrest. Circuit Judge Kirk Johnson set bail at $100,000.
Theft of metal and criminal mischief are both punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. However, Procella is facing an enhanced punishment range of up to 15 years in prison because he has four or more prior felony convictions.
Until the laws change to restrict the sale of scrap by individuals this will continue. Some states have the laws but it's not a high priority so enforcement is not there.
There are also far too many 'less than perfectly honest' scrap dealers out there.
"+1" on the "What about the scrap dealer ?!?" line of inquiry.
The best 'shocker' headline for this would be something more like:
"Man who stole wire from railroad on $100,000 bail and facing 15 years in prison"
Let the rest of the article explain the whys and wherefores that support the exaggerated headline.
Although, even the $10,000 fine and 6 years prison for just the wire theft might be enough right there to get people's attention - if they're literate and interested enough to read a newspaper anyway.
- Paul North.
Aw shucks - just hang 'em now..!
mudchicken Aw shucks - just hang 'em now..!
With a copper wire noose!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
It is hard to make much money from selling to scrap dealers, because they have to have a big cut from the sale, so they can sell it to someone else. You would have to have an actual ton of scrap metal if you go to a scrap dealer. Procella must be bad at the addition and multiplication of numbers when figuring the weight to dollars equation.
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