Scrap dealers key to West Virginia copper theft arrest

One of three people arrested by the West Virginia State Police last week for allegedly stealing copper wiring from Frontier Communications’ network was previously arrested and released for copper theft, said a West Virginia state trooper yesterday.

While Frontier (NYSE:FTR) continued to experience service outages resulting from copper theft, the state police talked with suspects’ neighbors and learned where the stolen copper was being sold. As many as seven individuals were involved in the copper theft operation. Warrants are out for the arrest of the remaining four suspects.

“We found three different places where they were selling [the copper],” said state trooper J. D. Hinsley. Police got statements from scrap dealers to whom the suspects allegedly sold the copper. “Some were caught on video at one place,” Hinsley said, and another suspect was required to provide a signature, he added.

The West Virginia State Police are taking a hard line on copper theft. The three suspects in custody are being held on bail of either $140,000 or $150,000 each, according to a press release issued by Frontier, which said it was “cooperating fully” with the police.