Two charged in connection with recent phone line thefts in southern Whitley

Two people have been arrested in connection with the recent theft of telephone cable in Southern Whitley County.

James "Jimmy" Davis Jr., 28, and Anthony "Stuttering Bob" Anderson, also known as Anthony Sullivan, 24, both of the Mud Creek area, were arrested Friday and charged with receiving stolen property under $10,000 following an investigation by Kentucky State Police and the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department.

"Interruptions in AT&T service are more than just inconvenient. They’re dangerous to the residents who rely on phone service in case of emergency," noted Sheriff Colan Harrell.

Harrell said that the cable is valuable because its metal contents can be melted down and sold to metal recyclers as scrap.

Harrell said that through interaction with the public during routine patrols, Deputy Todd Shelley identified Anderson as a person of interest in the thefts.

KSP Trooper Duane Foley, who had opened an investigation into the thefts, also identified Anderson as a suspect, Harrell noted in a release.

On Friday, Whitley County 911 notified Shelley that an AT&T employee, who was working in the Highway 1804 area, had found a wallet.

Shelley and Foley met in the area and took possession of the wallet, which had Davis’ identification inside.

When they went to Davis’ residence, Shelley and Foley observed a smoldering burn pile containing the remains of phone cable.
Burning is a common way that thieves attempt to destroy the cable’s non-metal coating, Harrell noted.

Police found Davis and Anderson inside the residence and Foley arrested both men and lodged them in the Whitley County Detention Center.

Shelley also arrested a third person at the residence, Edna Holt, 33, who had an outstanding warrant for her arrest stemming from a parole of probation violation.

"Trooper Foley and our department were on top of this. The public was providing information and a suspect had been identified. It was only a matter of time, but we appreciate the wallet clue allowing Trooper Foley and Deputy Shelley to go straight to the burn piles," Harrell noted.

Harrell added that court records indicate that Shelley charged Anderson with the same crime, receiving stolen property under $10,000, in 2010. The 2010 case also involved stolen cable.