St. Paul Man Sentenced to Probation for Copper Wire Theft
A St. Paul man has received probation for his role in stealing copper wire from streetlights, following a plea deal in court.
St. Paul, Minnesota, Copper Wire Theft, Probation
Htoo pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting first-degree criminal damage to property. He got a pretty sweet deal, really. If he stays out of trouble for two years on probation, his felony will turn into a misdemeanor. He had already spent 171 days in jail after getting arrested.
The police caught him and his buddies late at night near a park. They noticed a minivan parked where it shouldn’t be, and it turned out to be linked to previous wire thefts. Inside the van, they found tools and over 100 pounds of rolled-up wire. Htoo had a wire cutter and other tools, while one of his friends claimed she just fell asleep in the back and didn’t know what was going on.
The cops also found several streetlights nearby with wires hanging out, and none of them were working. It’s a real mess, and it’s costing the city a fortune to fix these issues. Just this year, St. Paul has spent over a million bucks repairing streetlights damaged by these thefts. They even had to hire a full-time crew to tackle the problem. It’s crazy how much this has escalated over the years!