CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Three men have been accused of seven break-ins at cell tower sites in West Virginia that authorities said caused phone outages for anyone in the area with an emergency.
Johnnie Boggess III, 30; James Canfield, 22; and Jeremy Powers, 28, were arrested recently in the investigation, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Wednesday.
The break-ins happened between August 2019 and Jan. 14, according to the release. Deputies received a break in the case when they found stolen cabling after responding to another incident. The sheriff’s office said this led to additional interviews and evidence.
The damages cost thousands of dollars in damage for the cell phone companies that have been affected, news outlets reported.
“We do not have a total amount for labor and cost of materials, but we know it will exceed $100,000,” Kanawha County Sheriff Mike Rutherford said.
There are other suspects that have cut phone and internet lines in the area but haven’t been caught, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities asked anyone with information to contact the sheriff’s office.
