The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrests of two Marion residents, James Marvin McKinney, 36, and Ronald Wayne McMahan, 60, for their involvement in the theft and vandalism of utility lines in McDowell County in late March.
McKinney was charged after a report on March 24 in North Cove, where 600 feet of active phone and internet lines were cut and stolen from a creek bed. The theft caused significant disruption to telecommunications services. The sheriff’s office also reported a separate theft on March 28 when Frontier Communications informed authorities that $5,000 worth of fiber-optic cable was stolen from Old Greenlee Road.
Following a search warrant at McMahan’s residence, detectives found evidence linking him to the crime. Both McKinney and McMahan have been charged with felony injuring wires and other fixtures of telephone, broadband, broadcast, or cable telecommunications companies, and they have each been issued a $250,000 secured bond.
The sheriff’s office reminds the public that utility lines, even if they are down or on the ground, are not public property. Despite the recent storm, lines in McDowell County may still be live and dangerous. Authorities urge anyone with tips or who observes suspicious activity near powerlines, especially at night, to contact the sheriff’s office.
