Perry County, Miss. — Seven individuals have been arrested by the Perry County Sheriff’s Department in connection with a copper wire theft operation involving approximately 560 feet of 200-pair copper wire stolen from AT&T poles in Richton. The stolen wire is valued at around $3,000.
AT&T first noticed service issues late on June 1 near Central Baptist Church. Crews inspected the area but initially could not locate the problem. On June 3, the wire theft was discovered, prompting AT&T to notify the Perry County Sheriff’s Department.
Deputies reported multiple copper thefts from locations spanning Tubby Cooper Loop to Rube Rich Road. On June 4, a deputy stopped to assist two individuals appearing stranded on Hwy 15 and found tubs containing burnt copper wire in their vehicle.
Kimberly Holifield and Troy Pool were arrested and charged with Grand Larceny and Conspiracy to Commit a Crime. Their interviews led to further arrests: Timothy Rhymes, Brittany Davis, Katlyn Bryce, and Kevin Langley. Rhymes, Davis, and Bryce allegedly returned to the theft site to retrieve wire left in the woods.
Jones County Sheriff’s Department aided the investigation, obtaining a search warrant at 30 Galvin Mills Road where Langley was found, along with recovered stolen property from previous cases. The same location was reportedly used to burn the Teflon coating off the copper wire.
William Phillip was also arrested by Jones County after a tip from a local scrap yard and extradited to Perry County Jail.
All seven suspects remain innocent until proven guilty as the investigation continues.
