Men Arrested for Copper Theft Posing as Phone Technicians in Rural Minnesota

In a daring heist that could have had serious consequences for an entire town, two men were caught posing as phone technicians while stealing thousands of dollars worth of copper from a rural Minnesota business. Fallsnet, an internet provider in Little Falls, had to pay $5,000 to repair the damage caused by stolen equipment in two incidents last year.

The crew at Fallsnet took matters into their own hands by installing motion sensing cameras on their tower. Last week, the cameras caught one man scoping out the site while another removed the front license plate off a pickup truck before pulling it into the worksite. Both men were wearing hard hats with homemade AT&T logos, which raised suspicion.

Police arrived on the scene and arrested the men, charging them with burglary. However, the damage had already been done, with over $10,000 in repairs needed. Fallsnet co-owner Kenten Gangestad expressed hope that this would be the last time they have to deal with copper theft.

In response to the increasing problem of copper theft, a new state law requiring a license to sell copper was passed over the weekend. Lawmakers hope that this measure will prevent further incidents that could potentially disrupt internet service to an entire town.

Beyond the financial cost, the theft of copper poses a safety issue for both drivers and pedestrians due to darkened streets. With the new law in place, authorities are hopeful that they can curb this criminal activity before it escalates further.