Three arrested for copper wire theft

POINT MACKENZIE — Over the course of three days, a trio of men allegedly stole copper wire valued at more than $20,000 from various sites in the port district.

According to an affidavit Alaska State Trooper investigator Ronald Hayes filed in the case against Francis E. Charles, at 10:38 a.m., Wednesday troopers went to the intersection of Point MacKenzie Road and Lu Young Lane where they found $20,000 to $30,000 in copper wire had been stolen.

“(Trooper Jesse) Lopez found fresh shoe and tire impressions,” Hayes wrote. “As Lopez was at the scene, the Wasilla Police Department received a call from… the owner of Mat-Su Salvage.”

The salvage yard told police that there were several men there with “a suspicious load of copper wire.”

By the time police arrived they were just in time to see the men leave in a maroon Chevy Suburban. The salvage yard owner told a Wasilla police officer the men were heading to Wal-Mart to cash a check he wrote them.

Wasilla police caught up with the men and identified them as Charles Mathieu Dubeau 24, of Wasilla and James J. Johnson, 41, of Wasilla. Hayes drove to the Wal-Mart to interview them.

“All three admitted to stealing the copper wire from the West Point MacKenzie Road and south Lu Young Lane property,” Hayes wrote.

The men told Hayes they would go to the property at night, usually between 11 p.m. and midnight.

“They went there several times over the proceeding week, with the last time being two days ago. Charles stated they went several times because his Suburban can only hold so much copper,” Hayes wrote.

Dubeau told trooper he was the one who cashed in the copper and all-told they’d gotten $1,500 for it, which they split evenly.

Once they’d gotten hold of the wire they’d burn the insulation off in a gravel pit off of Fireweed Road near Wal-Mart.

“While on scene, trooper Lopez e-mailed me photos of the shoe impressions from the W. Point MacKenzie Road property. Shoe impressions from the scene appeared to match Johnson and Dubeau’s shoe patterns.”

Later, Hayes wrote, he was told that a $22 million industrial conveyor belt had been stripped of its copper wire as well. Damage to the conveyor was estimated to be more than $500 but less than the $25,000 threshold needed for it to count as a more serious charge.

All three men were charged with criminal mischief, theft and trespassing. They were jailed at the Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility with bail set at $7,500 each. Jail records Thursday morning showed they were still incarcerated.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.