Man fined $500 for possessing copper wire stolen from Bell MTS compound

A 59-year-old man has received a $500 fine after he pleaded guilty to possessing copper wire obtained by crime from a Brandon Bell MTS compound in March.

Provincial court Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta told Ronald Ringland, who was called to the stand for his sentencing, that the courts are encouraged to impose “a very strong deterrent and denunciatory message” to people who steal copper wire.

“The value of the stolen copper is typically nothing in comparison to the cost to taxpayers of repairing the damage that’s caused,” she said in a Brandon courtroom on Thursday morning.

Though Ringland wasn’t charged with theft, Hewitt-Michta emphasized stealing copper wire is serious for several reasons.

“It often involves interference with or has impact on electrical infrastructure, which the community relies upon. It’s also very dangerous in Manitoba,” she said.

Ringland admitted he possessed the copper between March 6 and 13 this year.

Brandon police received a report involving thefts of copper wire from the compound at 1139 Rosser Ave. East and began an investigation, said Crown attorney Melania Cannon.

Police noticed there was a hole in the fence and saw footprints pulling what appeared to be a sleigh to and from the fence.

“They followed the sleigh tracks along a service road,” she said.

Police received information about people who were selling copper wire at Westman Salvage, a warehouse that buys various types of metal and sells auto parts.

Police later tracked a truck that matched video footage of a truck dropping off an individual at the warehouse. Police followed the eastbound vehicle, which was registered to Ringland, just outside of Brandon.

“Ultimately, they found an area in a wooded part of the countryside … where they found three individuals — two feeding a fire and one stripping wire in the fire — and one of those individuals was in fact Mr. Ringland,” Cannon said.

The individuals were found in possession of less than $5,000 worth of copper wire that was traced back to Bell MTS.

Cannon said a fine in the range of $500 would be sufficient to denounce and deter others from stealing and selling copper wire. She also suggested two years of unsupervised probation with a condition not to attend the compound.

Defence lawyer Philip Sieklicki joined in the Crown’s recommendation.

He said his client takes responsibility for his actions through a guilty plea.

“He certainly knew that he shouldn’t have been helping these other two individuals. He says that he shouldn’t have gotten involved at all, and certainly deeply regrets having done so,” Sieklicki said.

Ringland told the judge that he’s staying away from people who got him into trouble and he’s been working a full-time job with his son.

The judge accepted the joint recommendation from both counsels and warned the accused that he would face time in jail if he committed a similar offence in the future.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com