Third Person in Copper Theft that Caused Widespread Outage to be Formally Arraigned

A third person involved a last summer that caused a power outage in much of the community will be formally arraigned April 24.

Dwayne D. Ellison, 37, of Township Road, Toronto, OH, is charged with criminal mischief, risking a catastrophe, conspiracy in risking a catastrophe, theft, receiving stolen property, defiant trespass and criminal use of a communication facility.

On June 22, the thieves caused severe damage to the Penn Power-owned substation near on Route 19 by cutting grounding cables that activate the equipment. This led to an explosion at the substation and the loss of power to about 4,000 customers in Cranberry and Zelienople. 

Penn Power estimated the value of damage to the substation at about $61,000.

Investigators identified a Dodge Ram truck impounded after the Hudson theft as one that was in Cranberry on June 22. They also identified Barbara Ours, of Salineville, OH, as its driver.

Cell phone records obtained by police also placed Ours and her boyfriend, David Heddleston, of Toronto, OH, in Cranberry at the time of the copper theft.

Inside the truck, which was registered to Ellison’s father, police found bolt cutters and copper ground wire identical to what was stolen from the Cranberry substation, according to the criminal complaint filed by Cranberry police.

In an interview with investigators, Heddleston said Ellison was the ringleader of group that would travel up to two hours away from their home base in Ohio to steal copper from power substations. Ellison then would take the copper to a discount tire store in Carrollton, OH, according to the criminal complaint.

Heddleston and Ours also told police Ellison was the third person with them on the night of the copper theft in Cranberry, the complaint said.

Cell phone records obtained by police showed Ellison called Heddleston and Ours while they were in Cranberry on June 22, according to the criminal complaint. 

Ellison waived his scheduled March 16 preliminary hearings before . He was taken into pre-arraignment holding at Butler County Jail on March 6. As of Wednesday, he remains there on a bond of $50,000. 

His formal arraignment will be held at 1 p.m. April 24 before Butler County Common Pleas Judge Timothy McCune. A trial for Heddleston and Ours is scheduled for 9 a.m. April 23 before Butler County Common Pleas Judge William Shaffer.