Warrant issued in Lake Co. copper theft

A Lake County judge issued an arrest warrant Wednesday for a Chicago man accused in the theft of copper wire from an electric company, when the suspect did not show up in court.

Gregory John, 20, is to be held on $51,000 bond if he is taken into custody for failing to appear before Associate Judge Daniel Shanes on burglary and theft charges.

Assistant State's Attorney Victor O'Block said John is one of three men who drove into the yard of Anderson Electric in Wauconda Township on Nov. 26.

Police said John and the others told employees of the company the owner of the business had told them to pick up copper wire, then went to a storage shed and loaded approximately $6,000 worth of wire onto their truck.

After the trio drove off with the wire, the owner returned to the business and told his employees he had not given anyone permission to take the wire.

One of the company employees had written down the license number of the truck and called police. Arlington Heights police stopped it a short time later and took all three men into custody.

Gary Mitchell, 23, of the 500 block of Dempster Street in Mount Prospect, and Walter Miller, 45, of the 1700 block of Webster Lane in Des Plaines, are to be arraigned on the same charges Jan. 19.

O'Block said all three men face up to seven years in prison if convicted.