Two People Indicted for Damaging Radio Towers in North Royalton
| U.S. Attorney’s Office November 15, 2012 |
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Thomas M. Carbone and Katie M. Stanton with the malicious destruction of federally-licensed communications lines, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
“These defendants are accused of breaking into and seriously damaging radio towers,” Dettelbach said. “We will continue to protect the infrastructure in our region.”
Carbone, 28, lives in North Royalton and Stanton, 23, lives in Cleveland, according to public records.
The indictment charges that on or about August 17 to 18, 2012, Carbone and Stanton unlawfully entered the property of Radio One on Ridge Road in North Royalton, Ohio, and willfully and maliciously destroyed and removed copper material from four radio-station towers situated on the property.
This unlawful removal of copper depleted the signal strength of the supported radio station, thereby impeding the station’s ability to broadcast emergency messages, according to the indictment.
Emergency repairs cost nearly $11,000 while permanent repairs will cost an estimated $125,000, according to the indictment.
In addition, the indictment charges that Carbone and Stanton conspired together to commit these unlawful acts.
If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, if any; the defendants’ roles in the offense; and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases they will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas E. Getz and M. Kendra Klump. The case was investigated by the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Royalton Police Department.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.