A grand jury in Mineola, New York indicted 15 workers of the Long Island Rail Road and two scrap dealers on Friday for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of copper wires.
Eight of the defendants pleaded not guilty and the remainder were expected to be arraigned later in the day, reported the AP.
The robberies allegedly occurred over two years in rail yards on Long Island and New York City.
The investigation ended in the arrests Tuesday of the telecommunications linemen who had unrestricted access to the copper.
The workers allegedly targeted the LIRR rail yards in West Islip; Jamaica, Queens and the Atlantic Avenue viaduct.
The copper was allegedly sold on the black market to scrap yards.
Charges in the indictment unsealed against the first eight vary from conspiracy to grand larceny to possession of stolen property. Attorneys for several of the defendants said the copper wiring allegedly stolen was scrap that was to be discarded.
Christopher Natale of the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen planned to issue a statement later Friday.
The Nassau County District Attorney is expected to update the media on the investigation.
FOX 5 News has reached out to the MTA which operates the LIRR for comment. The MTA says it will issue a statement later today.
Thursday, May 23 2013 6:28 AM EDT2013-05-23 10:28:29 GMT
The parolee shot and killed along with a Hofstra University student by police won praise from a state parole panel in 2011 before his conditional release from prison.
The parolee shot and killed along with a Hofstra University student by police won praise from a state parole panel in 2011 before his conditional release from prison.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 1:00 PM EDT2013-05-22 17:00:29 GMT
An emotional funeral service has been held for a Hofstra University student who was accidentally shot by police.
An emotional funeral service has been held for a Hofstra University student who was accidentally shot by police. Andrea Rebello's family followed the pastor Wednesday as he led her white cloth-draped coffin to the altar at St. Teresa of Avila Church in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.
Monday, May 20 2013 5:32 PM EDT2013-05-20 21:32:24 GMT
As a family prepared for the funeral of a Hofstra junior killed by a cop's bullet during a standoff with an armed intruder, questions remain about how police handled the situation.
As a family prepared for the funeral of a Hofstra junior killed by a cop's bullet during a standoff with an armed intruder, questions remain about how police handled the situation.
Sunday, May 19 2013 3:14 PM EDT2013-05-19 19:14:07 GMT
Authorities say one person is dead and another was injured when the vehicle they were in ran off the road and crashed into Huntington harbor on Long Island Saturday evening.
Authorities say one person is dead and another was injured when the vehicle they were in ran off the road and crashed into Huntington harbor on Long Island Saturday evening.
