STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) - A two month long investigation solved a series of thefts and burglaries in Portage and Adams counties. Seven different law enforcement agencies uncovered how four men stole tools, tires, metal wire, and personal property.
41-year-old David McCracken from Wisconsin Rapids, 38-year-old Henry Zielinski of Plover, 27-year-old Dustin Yetter, and 42-year-old Dean Shibilski of Plover will be charged for more than half-a-dozen separate thefts.
Portage County Sheriff’s Detective Josh Ostrowski says the biggest haul was from a business in the Town of Sharon. “There was tens of thousands of dollars worth of copper wire, generator wire. It’s what you call a wire thief’s jackpot. It’s about an inch in diameter and has no inner lining. It’s just copper wire.”
Ostrowski says the other thefts and burglaries were smaller. “In the other instances, it was mostly personal items, valuable electronics, power tools, stuff like that.”
Ostrowski says the thieves worked in Portage, Wood and Adams Counties. “There was several business burglaries. There was several business thefts involved outside of the building, where they didn’t actually enter the building or a secure trailer.”
The total value of the stolen goods is estimated at over 38-thousand dollars.
All but Yetter have been taken into custody. Yetter will be required to appear in court at a later time.
The Portage County Sheriff’s Department, Adams County Sheriff’s Department, Town of Rome Police, Stevens Point Police, Plover Police, Wisconsin Rapids Police, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Crime Laboratory combined their efforts to solve this series of crimes.