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Final Suspect Sentenced For Ohio Power Site Copper Thefts
By: Associated Press
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The last of seven men accused of conspiring to steal copper from two dozen electrical substations in northeast Ohio has been sentenced to three years in prison.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Cleveland says Michael Butts, 33, of Brooklyn, Ohio, and the other defendants were ordered to pay First Energy Corp. more than $242,000 in restitution for repairs.
Prosecutors say the thefts last year created a risk of blackouts and threatened utility workers' safety. Authorities say the copper was sold to scrap yards for more than $15,000.
The defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to damage energy facilities. Five sentenced earlier received prison terms ranging from 15 months to more than four years. One was given two years of supervised release.