Pedro men indicted in phone wire thefts

Published 9:49 am Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Two Pedro men facing multiple charges relating to theft of copper phone wire were indicted this week by a Lawrence County Grand Jury.

Brian K. Bloomfield, 34, of 3900 Township Road 160, and Randy L. DePriest Jr., 30, of 272 Private Road 2173 County Road 41S, were indicted with 16 counts each of disrupting public services, a fourth-degree felony.

Bloomfield was also charged with 14 counts of tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony; DePriest was charged with 15 counts of tampering with evidence.

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The pair was arrested earlier this month following a nearly year-long investigation by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office into the theft of copper wiring from AT&T phone lines The men allegedly cut wire from lines in rural areas of the county starting in June of 2012 and took the copper to scrap yards after the insulation was burnt off.

Investigators were able to match serial numbers from some of the insulation that wasn’t completely burnt off.

Bloomfield and DePriest were arraigned in Ironton Municipal Court March 14 and bond was set at $75,000 cash or $150,000 property for each man. DePriest was assigned Gene Meadows from Scioto County for his attorney and Roger Smith of Huntington, W.Va., will represent Bloomfield.

Also indicted this week were five in connection with an alleged “shake and bake” meth lab in a South Point apartment.

Nathan D. Boyd, 24, Roberta Boyd, 43, Kimbralee Boyd, 22, Tyler Adkins, 24, and William Gore, 45, all of 223 Township Road 1186 Apt. 30, were indicted on a count each of second-degree illegal manufacture of drugs. Gore was also indicted on a count of possession of drugs (morphine).

The apartment’s residents were arrested earlier this month after the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous call about a strange odor coming from the residence at the Lawrence Commons Apartments.

The deputies found a 20-ounce soda bottle, rubber tube and allegedly the ingredients to make meth, according to a release from the Sheriff’s office. A deputy confirmed that meth was actively cooking inside the bottle.

The grand jury also indicted two West Virginia men who were arrested following a home invasion in Chesapeake in late February.

Joseph A. Workman II, 38, of 3873 Goose Creek Road, Barboursville, W.Va., and Scott A. Edie II, 23, of 18 Lance Drive, Charleston, W.Va., were both indicted on counts of first-degree aggravated burglary.

Other indictments returned by the grand jury, according to the office of Lawrence County Prosecutor Brigham Anderson are:

• Gregory S. Knipp, 45, of 88 Private Drive 87 Township Road 510N, South Point, three counts of gross sexual imposition;

• Joseph Organ Smith, 40, of 139 Elizabeth St., Proctorville, trafficking in drugs (heroin) and possession of drugs;

• Teresa Stormes, 42, of 915 1/2 Park Ave., Ironton, two counts of deception to obtain a dangerous drug (Xanax);

• Zack Asbrams, 23, of 915 1/2 Park Ave., Ironton, two counts of deception to obtain a dangerous drug (Xanax) and tampering with evidence;

• Casey Barker, 22, of 212 Third Ave., Chesapeake, domestic violence;

• Jeremy Runyon, 35, of 1304 County Road 15, South Point, burglary, breaking and entering, theft of drugs (hydrocodone, metrocarbamol, acetaminophen) and misdemeanor theft;

• Cheryl Carrico, 25, of 54 Township Road 1195, South Point, theft, burglary, breaking and entering, theft of drugs (hydrocodone, metrocarbamol, acetaminophen) and misdemeanor theft;

• Stewart Sherman, 21, of 2146 County Road 55, Ironton, burglary;

• Candice Puckett, 20, of 1109 Storms Alley, Ironton, burglary;

• Christopher Breeding, 35, of 263 Private Drive 3418 County Road 2, Chesapeake, having weapons under a disability and improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle.