Two Schuylkill County men were jailed Wednesday after police allegedly found them with cut Verizon cable, stripped copper wire and cutting tools near the Frackville baseball complex.
Gerald Sinko, 34, of Pottsville, and Brandon Adam Scinto, 31, of Minersville, were each charged with felony counts of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, along with a misdemeanor count of possessing instruments of crime.
According to affidavits filed by Frackville Police, the investigation began around 11 a.m. Wednesday when the Frackville Borough Street Department reported a suspicious vehicle near the baseball complex at 301 West High Street.
Street department employees reported seeing two men exit a greenish-colored Subaru and enter an adjacent wooded area. Police checked the area but did not initially locate anyone near the vehicle.
At approximately 1:15 p.m., a Verizon representative contacted police and reported that alarms had been received for fiber-optic lines near Old Maizeville Road at 11:48 a.m. and 12:06 p.m. The lines serve the area between Shenandoah and Frackville.
Police returned to the baseball complex and found the Subaru still parked there. While watching the vehicle, police allegedly observed one man enter the driver’s seat while a second man loaded items into the rear passenger area before getting into the front passenger seat.
Police stopped the vehicle as it attempted to leave the property.
During the stop, police allegedly saw approximately 30 feet of wire spooled on the back seat and cutting tools inside an open bag. Police also located a second bag tangled in the cable that allegedly contained a large quantity of stripped copper wire.
Police estimated the value of the stolen material at more than $3,000 based on previous theft investigations involving Verizon lines.
Police identified Scinto as the driver and Sinko as the passenger. According to the affidavits, both men admitted to cutting the Verizon lines after being advised of their rights.
Verizon reportedly told police that cutting the fiber-optic and telephone lines could cause a major disruption in the ability of residents between Shenandoah and Frackville to communicate with the Schuylkill County Communications Center, which handles 911 calls.
Court records show monetary bail was set at $25,000 for each defendant. Both were committed to Schuylkill County Prison after being unable to post bail.
Preliminary hearings are scheduled for September 30 before Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli.