Verizon Offers Up To $50,000 Reward In Reading Vandalism Case

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Verizon is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of people who vandalized the phone company’s copper telephone cables that run under the Bingaman Street Bridge.

Two recent incidents put public safety at risk for hundreds of customers in the Reading area and caused unnecessary telephone service outages, said Lee J. Gierczynski, Verizon spokesman.

Gierczynski said cables that run under the bridge were vandalized on Sept. 16 and on Tuesday.

The vandalism, which police suspect is being committed by copper thieves, caused a loss of phone service in some areas of south Reading and Kenhorst.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=417676

Those Crazy Copper Thieves Are Back!

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Maybe the gang in Fayette County has moved east in their quest for more copper?  A Lebanon County cell tower was vandalized and six copper plates valued at $75 each were stolen.  The tower is fenced in and thieves cut the lock to gain entrance.  The tower is shared by Verizon, T-Mobile, Nextel and AT&T.  And we wonder why prices keep going up!  The total damage estimate was $3,000!

Anyone with information is asked to call the Cornwall police at (717) 274-2071.

Verizon Loses $300,000 To Copper Thieves In Fayette County, Pennsylvania

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A sign of rough economic times is people breaking the law to get money.  Usually, things like shoplifting, armed robbery and burglary are the most common.  However, some clever criminals in Fayette County are stealing telephone line to strip the copper wire out and sell it. 

We had a copper thief here in Pottstown.  They were stealing copper rain gutters off churches, of all things, and selling it.  They were  fortunately apprehended.

In Fayette County, 35 thefts of telephone line have occurred since April.  Since October, 19 of these thefts have occurred.  Guess somebody needs some Christmas cash?

Verizon is offering up to $50,000 in rewards for information leading to an arrest. The downside is, in addition to Verizon being out money, Verizon customers are losing their phone service. 

Fayette County is mostly rural and located south of Pittsburgh.  The county shares its southern border with West Virginia.  The county seat and largest city is Uniontown.

3rd Party Billing Scam – Check Your Verizon Bills Carefully!!!!

http://pottstownherald.com/buyer-beware-3rd-party-scam-verizon-billing/1915/

Check your bill carefully.  These “charges” are easy to miss.