Hanover Park man charged in theft of road salt from Aurora

A 49-year-old Hanover Park man has been charged with theft and theft by deception, both felonies, in connection with the October theft of 135 tons of road salt from a west Aurora warehouse.

Thomas L. Viola, of the 5800 block of Chatsworth Court, was arrested Tuesday night by Hanover Park police on an arrest warrant that was issued earlier this month by Aurora police.

Aurora police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said Wednesday that Viola, who previously was employed by the Elgin-based company that stored the salt in Aurora, met two men looking to buy road salt last September.

Viola is accused of telling the men he owned the salt that was stored in the warehouse in the 2300 block of West Sullivan Road and had to sell it quickly because it was an environmental hazard and leaking into a nearby pond.

Police valued the salt at $17,500 but the two men negotiated a price of $9,000.

On Oct. 1, the salt was loaded into two trucks that took about five loads each over the course of the day to a location in Bolingbrook.

All of the salt was recovered at a Bolingbrook warehouse in the 300 block of International Parkway. The two men who purchased the salt from Viola have not been charged

Security guards at the Aurora warehouse where the salt was stored knew Viola through his employment and thought nothing of him taking it from the property.

Another employee reported the salt stolen Oct. 21.

Ferrelli said Aurora police were tipped off to Viola as a suspect because he allegedly pulled a similar ruse in Bolingbrook. Bolingbrook police helped with the investigation that led to his arrest.

Viola is being held in Aurora pending a bond hearing later in the week.