Joshua Westervelt, a 36-year-old Indianapolis man, is currently facing multiple felony charges including arson and theft in connection to a string of copper wire thefts from AT&T utility poles. According to WTHR, the Marion County Prosecutor's Office has charged Westervelt following a monthslong investigation into over 80 reported incidents of telecommunication wire thefts.
The thefts, which police said occurred throughout the year, had a significant impact on the local infrastructure, resulting in service outages for more than 500 AT&T customers between July and October. "These thefts caused significant service disruptions and outages that directly affected our neighborhoods," Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Chris Bailey said in a statement obtained by WISH-TV. Having allegedly sold the stolen copper wire to local scrap dealers, court records reveal that Westervelt made over $28,000 from these transactions, despite the wire being valued at least $50,000 by AT&T.
During the course of the investigation, authorities were tipped off by a scrap dealer who reported suspicious activity after a transaction involving Westervelt and 281 pounds of AT&T wiring in August. Further investigation by IMPD officers found that Westervelt pawned approximately 9,100 pounds of raw #2 copper wire in 2025, according to court documents noted by FOX59. Additionally, the Indianapolis Fire Department had been called to Westervelt's home on nearly 20 occasions due to the defendant allegedly burning wires in his backyard to remove the rubber sheathing.
Officials underscore the broad consequences such criminal activity brings upon the community. "It does have an impact on our community. When someone does this it takes out lots of phone or cable lines. It has a great impact and people are put out during that time," IMPD Officer Tommy Thompson expounded in a report by FOX59. The tools of his alleged trade, large blue wire cutters, were discovered alongside controlled substances during a search of Westervelt's residence, thus additional drug charges have also been filed against him.
Following his arrest and the charges, Westervelt's initial court hearing took place last week, and he is currently detained on a $20,000 cash bond pending trial. AT&T has urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious individuals or unmarked vehicles cutting and removing wire to the authorities or directly to AT&T Global Security. This initiative supports the collaborative effort between the business community and law enforcement to combat such offenses and to improve the lives of residents in Marion County, stressed by Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears, in a charged assertion conveyed by WTHR.
