PINEVILLE, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — A Pineville man is facing felony charges after police found severed AT&T telecommunications lines in his truck during a traffic stop.
According to the Pineville Police Department, Officer Patrick Brooks stopped to assist a motorist around 5:50 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, 2025. The man, identified as David Gambrel, 55, was standing beside his 2010 Ford Ranger.
Brooks immediately noticed several cut AT&T lines loaded into the bed of the pickup. These lines had been reported stolen earlier that day by Kentucky State Police.
Gambrel was arrested at the scene and transported to the Bell County Detention Center. He is charged with first-degree criminal mischief, a serious offense tied to the tampering or destruction of key infrastructure assets.
According to the police citation, Gambrel “intentionally or wantonly damaged, possessed, or tampered with the operation of a key infrastructure asset” in a way that made the system either inoperable or dangerous.
Authorities are continuing to investigate whether Gambrel is linked to any other incidents involving telecommunications infrastructure in the region.
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