Man caught on trail camera stealing copper, causing damage worth $27K, police say

WALLACE, W.Va (WDTV) - A Wallace man has been charged after officers said he caused thousands of dollars worth of damage and stole copper.

Officers were dispatched in reference to a larceny that happened in Wallace on June 21, 2022, according to a criminal complaint.

A man at the scene said someone, later identified as 48-year-old Steven Shreves, went onto a property and caused about $27,388 worth of damage and stole copper worth about $1,000, officers said.

Court documents say photographs from a trail camera were given to authorities showing two people on an ATV dragging black cables and wire from a business.

Officers spoke to someone allegedly involved in the crime who said he helped Shreves because “his truck had broken down” and helped load the items caught being stolen on the trail camera into Shreves’ truck.

Shreves has also been charged in an unrelated crime in Monongalia County for providing a falsified paystub to trade a pickup not titled to him for another pickup truck in December, according to another criminal complaint. He allegedly refused to return the pickup after authorities told him of the false representations.

Shreves has been charged in Marion County with destruction of property, conspiracy and grand larceny and in Monongalia County with obtaining property by false pretenses. He is being held at North Central Regional Jail on a combined $50,000 bond.

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