ST. PAUL, Minn. — A 36-year-old man will not receive an additional prison sentence for his role in a organized copper theft ring focused on street lighting in St. Paul.
Nay Thar was sentenced last week to three years probation for complicity in first-degree destruction of property.
Thar has been given a deferred sentence, meaning that if he does not comply with his probation guidelines, he will return to prison to serve his one-year sentence.
Thar is also due to serve sentences on two other charges in Hennepin and Olmsted counties.
Four others were charged in connection with the copper thefts that occurred between November 10, 2023, and January 15, 2024.
Investigators say a confidential informant led them to the group’s leader, Kyaw Klay, whose jury trial is set to begin Oct. 31. He allegedly made more than $12,000 from selling the stolen copper.
Copper theft has recently become a problem in the Twin Cities. Neighbors told WCCO that these crimes are likely a fatal crash in st paul on Christmas Eve last year when a driver struck and killed a man and his dog as they crossed the street. The street lights were out due to stolen wire.
State lawmakers hope that fight crime by making it harder for thieves to sell what they steal.
WCCO Staff
