Jesse Henry, a 21-year-old man from Laclede County, Missouri, pleaded guilty to stealing railroad equipment on 33 separate occasions, resulting in losses exceeding $1.5 million. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri announced the plea on February 28, 2025.
Between 2022 and 2023, Henry stole a variety of items, including control equipment, signs, plans, and blueprints from railroad bungalows across Missouri and Illinois. These metal structures house essential railroad gear used for operations and safety.
One of the thefts occurred on August 8, 2023, when Henry took a crossing controller from the Seeger Lane crossing in Foristell, Missouri. This theft created a dangerous situation, as a passing train crew noticed the signal was non-functional, and the road-blocking gates remained down, posing a hazard.
Federal authorities launched an investigation after noticing an uptick in railroad thefts in the spring of 2023. Following the FBI’s investigation, a court-approved search of Henry’s family home in Richland, Missouri, recovered the stolen crossing controller and other items.
Henry is set to be sentenced on June 4, with the potential to face up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
