Four men charged with $100K copper wire theft in northern Ont.

Provincial police say the four men who stole copper wire from 33 downed hydro poles in May have been arrested and charged.

Four people have been charged in a case where 33 hydro poles were chopped down and stripped of $100,000 worth of copper wire.

The incident took place between May 1 and May 7 in a remote area on Silverfields Road in Coleman Township.

“The theft occurred in a remote area along the road connecting the town of Cobalt and the Hound Chute Hydro Generating Station,” the Ontario Provincial Police said in a news release Tuesday.

An investigation by the Temiskaming OPP crime unit, directed by the regional crime unit with help from the Forensic Identification Services, the north east emergency response Team and north east regional intelligence analyst led to the arrests.

Charged are a 39-year-old from Hudson Township, a 42-year-old from Thornloe, a 34-year-old from Temiskaming Shores and a 51-year-old from Casey Township.

They are charged with numerous offences, including theft over $5,000, trafficking in stolen goods over $5,000, mischief over $5,000 and possession of stolen goods over $5,000 for the purpose of trafficking.

All four men have been released and are scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice at a future date in 2025 in Haileybury.

Anyone with information on the investigation is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit information online where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000. Reference No. E250569535.