CLEARFIELD – A Karthaus man will stand trial for breaking into a drilling rig to steal copper wire.
Jason Lee Hoover, 47, is charged with burglary, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, and theft by unlawful taking, all felonies, along with misdemeanor counts of possessing instruments of crime and driving while license suspended.
After a preliminary hearing Wednesday during centralized court, District Judge James Glass ruled all charges be sent on to the court of common pleas for further disposition.
Hoover is being held in the county jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on May 2, police were called to the drilling rig on Hotel Heights in Lawrence Township because a man, Hoover, was found inside of it.
A security officer told them there had been previous burglaries in that area during which a large amount of copper wire had been stolen. As the officer was on his rounds, he located a backpack on the ground inside the rig and then heard someone moving around inside. He notified the manager and together they found a man behind the generator.
When police entered the rig, they saw the perpetrator, Hoover, who was covered from head to toe in black grease. Hoover was already a suspect in the previous theft, as well as other copper thefts being investigated by state police, it is noted in the criminal complaint.
Hoover told police he was walking by between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m. when he decided to check out the building. He saw copper wires already cut, he said and hid when he heard other people arrive. Hoover also argued that there were not any “no trespassing” signs around.
The manager told officers that after they found Hoover, they discovered damaged wire. The entire rig would need to be re-wired which would cost about $200,000, he said.
Near where Hoover was hiding, police found a utility knife, a knife in a sheath and a flashlight.
In an interview with investigators at the police station, Hoover denied having an accomplice or a vehicle. He claimed police were “pinning things on him” because state police had found copper wire in his vehicle.
Later, police located a truck holding various tools at a near by business. A key Hoover had on his person, fit the truck which is registered to a friend of Hoover’s. Hoover stated he was not sure if the friend knew he had the truck or not.
