Men Indicted for Stealing Copper from Brecksville Power Substation

Seven men have been indicted on charges of stealing copper from two-dozen power substations around Northeast Ohio — including the Hickory Substation at 5735 Oakes Road in Brecksville.  

“These defendants risked the safety of utility workers and the well-being of people served by these substations,” Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said in a news release.  

The thefts took place between January and May 2013 and included substations in Brecksville, Brooklyn, Parma, Fairlawn, Medina, Cleveland, Wadsworth, Lakewood, Cuyahoga Heights, Independence, Vermillion, Lorain, Avon Lake, Westlake and Valley View, according to the indictment.  

“This is a far cry from vandalism or simple theft," Dettelbach added. "The targeting of energy facilities poses a significant threat to our critical infrastructure. The theft of copper and other scrap metal is a serious  problem and will not be tolerated.”  

The men indicted are Christopher M. Butts, 26, of Cleveland; Michael T. Butts, 33, of Brooklyn; Jon T. Lefort, 25, of Cleveland; William Bertini, 25, of Olmsted Township; Jason B. Kauffman, 34, address unknown; Keven Wenson, 22, of Lakewood; and Julio Torres, 45, address unknown.  

“These defendants chose to enrich themselves while risking lives and posing serious threats to our community,” said Stephen Anthony, the agent in charge of the FBI Cleveland office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue and bring to justice those individuals who threaten our critical infrastructure.”  

According to the indictment, Christopher and Michael Butts told Lefort, Bertini, Kauffman, Wenson and Torres how to remove the copper material from the substation — in a way that would minimize the risk of physical harm to the person cutting the wire or cable.  

The men allegedly used bolt cutters to cut fencing and/or locks protecting the substations, before stripping the copper wire and materials from the substations — carrying it in garbage cans, duffel bags, contractor bags and other containers to “staging areas.” From there, the copper was taken to scrap yards, where it was sold for cash, according to the indictment.  

The indictment details 25 copper thefts and five attempted thefts. It also lists 53 instances where at least some of the defendants sold stolen copper to area scrap yards between January and April 2013.