Police: Hamburg man stole copper from substation

FRANKLIN — A Hamburg man is facing charges after Franklin police investigated mutliple burglaries reported by Jersey Central Power & Light employees from a secured lot between July 10 and Aug. 15.

Russell G. Shaffer, 36, was charged on Aug. 18, with six counts of burglary, six counts of theft, six counts of criminal mischief and narcotic offenses.

Police said employees reported damage to the entrance and exit of the substation, which is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system for JCP&L. Employees and management from JCP&L reported that after forcing entry into the secured lot, an unknown person or persons were forcibly removing various lengths of copper conduits and various pieces of copper valued at thousands of dollars, police said.

Police allege Shaffer entered the JCP&L substation secured lot causing damage to fencing at least six separate times. He also is accused of taking various pieces and lengths of copper and in doing so damaged various pieces of electrical generation equipment, transformers, and various other electrical equipment within the substation. Police allege Shaffer has taken thousands of dollars’ worth of copper and caused thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to the sub-station.

Shaffer was arrested on Clove Road in Wantage by Franklin police. Police said he was found to be in possession of an undisclosed amount of heroin, a hypodermic needle, and other drug paraphernalia.

He was sent to the Sussex County Jail in lieu of $300,000 bail with no 10 percent option. The charges may be presented to a grand jury for potential indictment.