Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Nine people have been charged in connection with stealing Verizon wires from various utility poles throughout Bucks County and selling them as scrap.
The arrests were made Thursday after a months-long investigation that spanned the central and lower parts of Bucks County.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said the theft resulted in over $250,000 in replacement costs for the utility company.
From May to October, the group, self-named the “Get Money Squad,” executed wire thefts spanning across several townships, including Bensalem, Bristol, Lower Makefield, Upper Makefield, and Warminster, authorities said.
Detectives discovered some of the accused posed as search party members during the tragic July flash floods in Lower Makefield Township. They exploited the situation, falsely searching for children who were reportedly swept away, to surreptitiously steal more wire, authorities said.
Investigators said the group specifically targeted this tragic event due to the size of the wire present in that location and the knowledge that local law enforcement would be preoccupied with the ongoing rescue missions.
According to police, members of the theft ring would case locations throughout Bucks County, climb utility poles, and lop off the wires.
The suspects would then remove the wires’ protective layers by burning off the plastic coating before selling the copper to a scrap yard.
“The crimes not only deprived Verizon of property, but also deprived crucial utility service to Verizon customers, including, but not limited to, access to 9-1-1,” the district attorney’s office said.
On Thursday, eight out of the nine suspects were taken into custody.
The defendants in the case are: Ryan Jeffrey Potts, 33, of Bensalem; Marianna Harkins, 36, of Bristol Township; Michael John Cronon, 39, of Bristol Township; Paige Eiseman, 33, of Bristol Township; Frederick E. Lee Sr., 64, of Bristol; Richard Machen, 43, of Bristol; Nicholas Palmer, 27, of Bristol Township; and Raymond Gerald Paul Jr., 38, of Doylestown.
The defendants were arraigned by District Judge Mick Petrucci, who remanded them to the Bucks County Correctional Facility. Potts and Harkins were sent to county jail on 10 percent of $600,000 bail and the others on 10 percent of $500,000 bail.
The group face a series of charges that include corrupt organizations, criminal conspiracy, theft, receiving stolen property, theft of metal, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, criminal mischief, criminal use of a communication facility, and disruption of service.
In addition to the theft charges, Potts was also charged with soliciting someone to straw purchase a firearm for him. Potts is not legally permitted to possess a firearm in Pennsylvania.
A ninth suspect – Kimberly Ann Mayger, 52, of Bristol – remains on the run and is being sought, police said.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office Drug Strike Force and the Bristol Township Police Department, with assistance from the Bensalem Township Police Department, Bucks County Sheriff’s Office, Upper Makefield Police Department, and the Falls Township Police Department were involved in the investigation.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
