Deputies Charge Ruskin Man With Series Of Cell Tower Burglaries

GIBSONTON, FL—Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies have made an arrest in the burglary of Verizon and T-Mobile cell towers that disrupted cell phone service in the area including access to the 911 system.

According to the sheriff’s office, William Jay Bingham, 40, of 409 York Dale Drive, Ruskin, admitted to breaking into a secured area surrounding a Verizon cell tower at 9855 Lula St., Gibsonton, on Nov. 27. Once inside the gate, sheriff’s officials say he broke into an outbuilding and removed 30 batteries that powered the cellular signal for the tower. This caused a brief interruption to the cellular network including the 911 system. The batteries are valued at $12,000.

Then, on Dec. 8, Bingham told deputies he broke into another Verizon cell tower perimeter fence at 1507 21st Ave., S.E., Ruskin, and removed 30 more batteries, which also disrupted local cell service. That same day, he confessed to also breaking into a T-Mobile outbuilding and stealing eight backup batteries valued at $2,000.

Bingham told deputies that he sold the batteries to local metal recycling centers. He said he also stole batteries from cell tower sites in the city of Tampa, Polk, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Bingham is charged with eight counts of grand theft, seven counts of dealing in stolen property, eight counts of false verification of ownership to a metal recycler, six counts of interfering with utilities and theft of copper or other nonferrous metals and four counts of burglary of a structure.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has issued an arrest warrant for a man believed to have been Bingham’s accomplice. Donald Paine Davis, 30, of 1120 Prosperity Place, Ruskin, faces similar charges.

Anyone with information on the Davis’ whereabouts should call the sheriff’s office at (813) 247-8200 or, to be eligible for a cash reward, call Crime Stoppers at (800) 873-TIPS.

Image via Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office