Accused cooper thief pleads

A man accused of stealing copper from an inactive Russellville mobile home plant pleaded guilty on Wednesday to burglary charges.
Christopher Dewayne Mooney, 44, 100 Poplar Creek Loop, Tuscumbia, pleaded guilty to a 15-year sentence split with two years to serve for third-degree burglary, Franklin County District Attorney Joey Rushing said.
Mooney and three other men were arrested on September 9 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 take-down 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 $150,000 were reported by the owner of the building and payment of restitution was a condition included in the plea, Rushing said.
“Because of the way the state penitentiary system is right now, people are getting released in three to six months after they are convicted, even on lengthy sentences,” Rushing said. “This is why we do split sentences, so these defendants will at least spend time in jail before being released on parole.”
The plea agreement specifies that Mooney will also receive five years of probation once released from prison.