Three people were arrested for stealing copper wire from power poles in Cecil County, causing communication outages, according to Maryland State Police. 

The three suspects  — Brian Clark Tulley, 55, of Harbeson, Delaware, along with Stacey Lyn Tulley, 46, and David Mark Fenstermaker, 62, both of Elkton, Maryland — were each charged with felony theft and destruction of property. 

According to state police, the suspects were involved in three separate incidents during which copper wire that belonged to Verizon was taken from active power poles. 

The thefts caused service interruptions and an estimated loss of nearly $66,000, troopers said. 

Multi-state copper wire scheme

State police said they have been investigating similar copper wire thefts in the region over the past year. 

In July, two Washington, D.C. residents were arrested after Bel Air police uncovered a multi-state theft scheme that involved at least 20 crimes in five states. 

During the scheme, Dominique Jeffery Johnson and Myah Michelle Portia Parker allegedly stole nearly $16,000 worth of copper wire from a work van. 

After the suspects were identified, police learned 17 other law enforcement agencies were investigating the two for similar crimes. 

"In law enforcement, we have vast resources with our coordination analysis center, and we share information," said Detective Sergeant Henry Marchesani, with the Bel Air Police Department. "And lo and behold, a detective from Baltimore County communicated with us and said, 'Look, I may have identified your suspects,' which opened the floodgates."

According to Bel Air police, the suspects committed crimes in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. 

Anyone with information about copper wire thefts is asked to call 410-996-7814. 

Robberies in Maryland 

According to crime data from Maryland State Police, robberies across the state declined by nearly 3% last year, with 8,073 cases reported in 2023 and 7,779 cases reported in 2024. 

In 2023, nonprecious metals accounted for nearly $10.6 million in losses, and in 2024, metals accounted for nearly $5.6 million in losses. 

So far in 2025, 3,269 robberies have been reported in the state, with nonprecious metals making up for nearly $2 million in losses, data shows.