WYOMING COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Brian Stanley Shrewsbury, 26, of Stephenson, WV, pled guilty on January 25, 2023, to four felonies.
Shrewsbury pled to Grand Larceny, Felony Destruction of Property, Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, and Felony Destruction of a Public Utility Company’s Property. On March 8, 2023, Shrewsbury was sentenced to 1 to 10 years, 1 to 10 years, 1 to 5 years, and 1 to 3 years, respectively. The Court ordered that those sentences run consecutively for a total of 4 to 28 years in prison. Shrewsbury was also ordered to pay $109,000 in restitution to Frontier Communications.
Shrewsbury, along with others, stole telephone wire belonging to Frontier Communications. Shrewsbury then prepared the wire for sale by burning and stripping the protective sheath. Shrewsbury sold the metal for scrap.
Gregory Bishop is the Wyoming County Prosecutor. “While Frontier Communications is the victim in this case,” said Bishop, “all our citizens pay the price when companies are forced to pass that loss on to the consumer. Not to mention the cost, inconvenience, and public safety issues related to the loss of service caused by these thefts. This type of behavior is not intolerable in Wyoming County”.
Assistant Prosecutor Derek Laxton served as the lead prosecutor in this case.
Sergeant Matthew Lane served as lead investigator Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department.
Bishop wished to think the hard and thorough work of Assistant Prosecutor Derek Laxton and Josh Miller along with Sergeant Matthew Lane and the rest of the Wyoming County Sheriff’s Department.
“Securing felony pleas without having to spend our taxpayers’ money for the very expensive process of trial is a testament to the outstanding criminal investigation and prosecutorial preparation conducted by the professionals I have the privilege to work alongside,” said Bishop.