9 Charged In Verizon Wire Theft Ring In Bucks County

BUCKS COUNTY, PA —Nine people have been charged with stealing Verizon wires from utility poles throughout Bucks County and selling them as scrap, costing the utility company more than $250,000 to replace, authorities said.

Between May and October, the organization, who referred to themselves as the “Get Money Squad,” committed wire thefts in Lower Makefield Township, Upper Makefield Township, Warminster Township, Bensalem Township, and Bristol Township, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said.

The evidence indicates some of those charged even posed as members of a search party looking for children swept away during the deadly July flash flooding in Upper Makefield, just so they could steal more wire.

The joint investigation found the group took advantage of the tragedy because of the size of the wire in that location and because they knew law enforcement would be overwhelmed with rescue efforts.

On Thursday, eight of the nine defendants were arrested for a variety of crimes that included corrupt organizations, criminal conspiracy, theft, receiving stolen property, theft of metal, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, criminal mischief, criminal use of a communication facility, and disruption of service.

Police continue to search for the ninth.

Those charged are Ryan Jeffrey Potts, 33, of Bensalem; Marianna Harkins, 36, of Bristol Township; Michael John Cronon, 39, of Bristol Township; Paige Eiseman, 33, of Bristol Township; Frederick E. Lee Sr., 64, of Bristol; Richard Machen, 43, of Bristol; Nicholas Palmer, 27, of Bristol Township; and Raymond Gerald Paul Jr., 38, of Doylestown.

Members of the organization were arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Michael Petrucci who remanded them to the Bucks County Correctional Facility. Potts and Harkins were sent to BCCF under $600,000 bail with 10 percent, and the others under $500,000 bail with 10 percent.

Investigators are asking for the community’s assistance in locating the ninth member of the organization, Kimberly Ann Mayger, 52, of Bristol.

Members of the theft ring would case locations throughout Bucks County, climb utility poles, and lop off the wires, the investigation found.

They would then remove the wires’ protective layers by burning off the plastic coating before selling the copper to a scrap yard. The crimes not only deprived Verizon of property, but also deprived crucial utility services to Verizon customers, including, but not limited to, access to 911.

In addition to the theft charges, Potts was also charged with soliciting someone to straw purchase a firearm for him. Potts is not legally permitted to possess a firearm in Pennsylvania.

The investigation was conducted by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office Drug Strike Force and the Bristol Township Police Department, with assistance from the Bensalem Township Police Department, Bucks County Sheriff's Office, Upper Makefield Police Department, and the Falls Township Police Department.