Man pleads guilty to stealing copper from plant

A man accused of stealing copper from an inactive Russellville mobile home plant last September pleaded guilty on Tuesday to burglary and criminal mischief charges.

Michael Wade Logan, 25, 880 Logan Lane, Leighton, pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary and first-degree criminal mischief and received a 10-year sentence split with 14 months to serve followed by 18 months on Community Corrections, Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said.

Logan and four other men were arrested in connection to the crime after authorities received information that someone had been stealing from the former Lakota Homes plant located in the Russellville Industrial Park No. 2.

After setting up surveillance at the plant, a team of officers from the Russellville Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Department and DA investigators caught the men stealing copper from equipment located inside the building.

Damages totaling over $100,00 were reported by the owner of the building and payment of restitution was a condition included in the plea, Rushing said.

“Logan didn’t have any priors, but we wanted to make sure he served jail time for his role in the theft,” Rushing said. “We also want to make sure he starts paying the restitution he owes in this case.”

Rushing said Logan will also receive four years of probation once he is released from jail and completes his Community Corrections sentence.

Logan’s co-defendant, Christopher Dewayne Mooney, pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary and is currently serving a two-year sentence.

The other three co-defendants, Wesley Shane Edgemon, 22, of Russellville; Deenytric O’Neal Neloms, 19, of Leighton; and Stephen Wayne Ayers, 19, of Russellville, are still awaiting trial.