Copper theft case among indictments

Published 12:00 am Sunday, October 30, 2011

Three West Virginia men arrested for allegedly burning the plastic coating off copper wires were among those indicted last week by a Lawrence County Grand Jury.

Brian C. Hatcher, 22, of Hurricane, was indicted on charges of receiving stolen property, open burning and prohibited acts. Michael Graybeal III, 24, of Huntington, was indicted on the same charges as well as charges of theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A third man, Christopher Collins, 27, of Ona, was indicted on charges of receiving stolen property, open burning, prohibited acts and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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In late August, Lawrence County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the 7400 block County Road 107, Proctorville, to investigate reports of smoke and open burning. Deputies allegedly found the three men burning the coating off copper cables.

The three men allegedly told deputies they found the copper cables. A search of their campsite uncovered tools that were determined to have been stolen from Huntington.

According to information from the office of Lawrence County Prosecutor J.B. Collier Jr., others indicted were:

— Jeremy Rogers, 26, 2208 N. Seventh St., Ironton, theft

— Barry M. Adkins, Jr., 26, 111 Fairview Ave., South Point, theft

— Michael Johnson, 52, 8427 State Route 243, South Point, illegal cultivation of marijuana

— Dwayne Fortner, 25, 120 Freeman Court, South Point, burglary

— Rodney Miller Jr., 27, 803 Solida Road, South Point, failure to provide change of address under Ohio sex offender laws.

— Frank Triesch Jr., 35, Huntington, W.Va., burglary and his codefendant,

— Cassandra Triesch, 25, also of Huntington, complicity to commit burglary

— Matthew Baker, 29, 8015 County Road 1, South Point, grand theft and his codefendant,

— Chadwick Workman, 20, 50 Township Road 1512, South Point, grand theft; both men were accused of stealing metal from Superior Marina in Proctorville

— Anthony Adams, 29, 1937 Township Road 250, South Point, two counts of burglary and his codefendant,

— Ellen Yoder, 24, 1397 Township Road 250, South Point, one count of complicity to theft

— Carl Holston, 44, 404 ½ S. Fourth St., Ironton, one count each of breaking and entering, tampering with evidence and resisting arrest

— James D. Wood, 34, Huntington, W.Va., receiving stolen property

— Gregory Mays, 28, 1251 Township Road 138, Ironton, one count each of breaking and entering and grand theft

— Justin Hildreth, 20, 317 Township Road 935, South Point, two misdemeanor counts of theft and three felony counts of theft

— Justin Hager, 31, 84 Township Road 183, Ironton, felonious assault

— Amber Waddell, 26, 2739 S. Fifth St., Ironton, burglary

— Charles Allen, 32, 1894 County Road 103, Ironton, one misdemeanor count of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol

— Cameron J. Simmons, 34, Columbus, escape

— Christopher Jenkins, 33, 279 Township Road 1034, South Point, two counts of domestic violence and one count each of felony attempt to commit burglary and assault on a peace office and one count of resisting arrest

The grand jury met Thursday and Friday of this past week.