Worker charged in $60,000 copper theft

A contractor’s employee has been charged with stealing nearly 11,000 pounds of copper wire from the McKee Run Generating Station valued at about $60,000 by officials at the Dover power plant, city police said.

Michael W. Shane Sr., 46, of the 200 block of Daisy Road in Clayton, was an employee of North American Energy Services, which is contracted by the city of Dover for power plant operations, when the thefts of heavy-duty, high-voltage wire occurred between November 2012 and July 2014, police said.

The wire was stolen from a warehouse at the plant at 880 Buttner Place, Lt. David Spicer said.

He said Shane sold the nearly 11,000 pounds of wire for $30,000 at a scrap yard near Hartly.

Officers found evidence at Shane’s previous residence linking him to the crime, Spicer said.

Shane was released on $5,000 unsecured bond.

Contact News Delivery Editor Jon P. Zaimes at (302) 324-2813 or jzaimes@delawareonline.com. On Twitter @JZDelaware.