ST. ALBANS, W.Va. — Kanawha County sheriff’s deputies have arrested a man in connection to a widespread internet and phone service outage.
David Steadman, 48, of St. Albans, was arrested for allegedly stealing $1,000 worth of copper wire from the Optimum communications facility in St. Albans with another man. Two men were shown on surveillance footage, with t-shirts over their heads, cutting copper wire from the site last Friday.
The theft left around 18,000 Optimum customers without internet and phone service, according to the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
Steadman was also charged with another reported theft in St. Albans. Deputies said Steadman was already wanted on a felony robbery warrant, issued May 22, for theft at the masonry distributor Peerless Block & Brick.
Deputies said Steadman attempted to flee law enforcement upon being located, but they brought him into custody.
Steadman was charged with grand larceny, breaking and entering, destruction of property, and endangering public safety for the alleged Optimum theft. He was charged with breaking and entering and grand larceny in connection to the Peerless Block & Brick investigation.
Steadman is being held in the South Central Regional Jail on two different bails, $50,000 and $20,000.