FOUR FACE CHARGES IN SUNRAIL METAL THEFTS A year-long investigation into the ongoing theft of railroad materials along SunRail’s route from DeLand to Poinciana has resulted in felony charges against four suspects in a case involving tens of thousands of dollars in stolen metal. Sheriff’s investigators this week arrested 38-year-old Josh Childers of Eustis (DOB 12-7-1976), 37-year-old William Griffin of Lake Helen (DOB 11-14-1977) and 25-year-old Brandon Pittman of DeLand (DOB 12-21-1989) on charges ranging from organized fraud to conspiracy to dealing in stolen property. Also facing felony charges in connection to the case is 34-year-old Carl Clark (DOB 2-29-1980), and a warrant is out for his arrest. The thefts stretched back to June 2013, when a scrap-yard manager in DeLand notified the Sheriff’s Office that someone just scrapped a “copious amount” of high-quality insulated copper wire. The scrapper was Childers. But when a deputy located him, Childers handed over his business card from Railroad Controls Limited (“RCL”) – a Texas company under contract with the Florida Department of Transportation to replace existing equipment along the rail line with new material for SunRail. Investigators repeatedly contacted RCL, sending documentation and photos detailing the large amounts of scrapped metal, but couldn’t reach anyone interested in pursuing a case. In one phone call, an RCL supervisor told a deputy that the company didn’t want to pursue criminal charges because the incident was “over and done with.” That supervisor was Griffin, who was booked in the Volusia County Branch Jail on Tuesday – joining Childers and Pittman, who were arrested Monday. All three men were RCL employees, and investigators believe they had unlimited access to railroad materials from DeLand to Poinciana. Pittman is suspected of trafficking in stolen rail property 98 times, Childers 54 times and Griffin eight times. The stolen items included copper wire and nickel-cadmium batteries used in the existing railroad crossing equipment along the rail corridor. All three were charged with dealing in stolen property, organized scheme to defraud, conspiracy to commit organized fraud and false verification of ownership to a secondary metals recycler in excess of $300. Investigators also completed a charging affidavit on the same charges against Clark. The Statewide Prosecutor’s Office is handling prosecution of the case.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 21:06:22 +0000
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