The streets of St. Paul have been victim to a crime that left neighborhoods not only in the dark but also grappling with the realization of vulnerabilities lurking in mundane places—in the very infrastructure that is meant to illuminate and protect them. Eh Tha Blay, 26, has pleaded guilty to his role in a series of copper wire thefts that stripped streetlights of their essential components, rendering the roads shadowed and unsafe. In an admission that put a partial close to a chapter of criminal activity running from November 2023 through January 2024, Blay has echoed the confessions of his accomplices.
According to a report by CBS News Minnesota, Blay pled guilty to one count of aiding and abetting third-degree property damage. The court documents revealed that, if the plea is accepted at his sentencing on February 13, he will not be required to serve additional time beyond what has already been served, but may face restitution and probation. Blay's involvement was part of a broader orchestration by a ringleader, Kyaw Klay, who gathered a team to carry out these thefts, generating over $12,000 from selling the stolen material to recycling facilities.
Further detailing the scope of the operation, The Minneapolis Daily News Now underscores the impact of these thefts on the community. The power outages that ensued raised concerns for public safety—a consequence that often trails behind the clinking of ill-gotten gains. The podcast outlines how most members of this illicit group have already faced legal repercussions, with Klay sentenced to three years of probation and another accomplice, Paw La, directed to pay in excess of $1,000 in restitution.
