Husband and Wife Plead Guilty To Copper Theft

– Provided by Kentucky Transportation Cabinet –

A Clark County husband and wife have pleaded guilty to a combined 33 criminal charges involving theft of wire from lighting systems on Kentucky highways.

Kentucky Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock said he hoped the arrest and  convictions put an end to copper theft on Kentucky Highways.

“This type of theft victimizes the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and also Kentucky taxpayers who ultimately pay the bill for replacing vandalized lights,” Secretary Hancock said. “We are pleased to see that those responsible are being sentenced appropriately for their crimes. Theft of copper wire from highway lights has caused millions of dollars in damage – damage that far exceeds the value of the wire when it’s sold for salvage.”

From April through November 2014 copper wire was taken from interstate and parkway lighting systems in nine counties – Bath, Fayette, Franklin, Grant, Jefferson, Laurel, Nelson, Scott and Woodford. The crimes occurred on Interstates 64, 65, 75 and 265 and the Bluegrass Parkway.

Aaron Ferguson entered guilty pleas on July 8, 2015, to 28 felony charge-seven counts of theft by unlawful taking or disposition of property, seven counts of first-degree criminal mischief and fourteen counts of first- degree persistent felony offender.`The Commonwealth is recommending a sentence of 10 years in prison – five years for each of the theft and criminal mischief charges, to be served concurrently,  and five more years by Ferguson’s status as a persistent felony offender in the first degree. Sentencing is scheduled Aug, 28, 2015.

Ferguson’s wife, Cindy Ferguson, entered guilty pleas on Monday, July 6, to five misdemeanor counts of criminal facilitation to theft. She has been sentenced to 12 months, probated for a period of two years. Among the conditions of her probation was that she cooperated in the prosecution of Aaron Ferguson.