Court docs: Two men found burning transformer parts, charged with receiving stolen property

MOBERLY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Two men allegedly found burning parts from a transformer were charged with felonies in Randolph County on Monday.

Timothy Duane Still, 45, of Keytesville, and Ronald Walstead, 40, of Moberly were both charged with receiving stolen property. Both are being held at the Randolph County Jail on $15,000 bonds. Court dates have not been scheduled.

According to the probable cause statement, Randolph County Sheriff’s deputies were called to Randolph County Road 2830. The statement says the deputy was “was familiar with the fact empty commercial electric power line casings had been found discarded in the area, just south of the Randolph/Howard County Line.”

Deputies saw a pickup truck owned by Still that was parked in the center of the road, along with a fire behind the truck, the statement says. A deputy stated in court documents that they saw the interior of transformer casings in the fire.

Still allegedly told deputies that he was burning the objects in the fire to remove the plastic and insulation so he could sell the copper wiring for scrap, the statement says. Still allegedly claimed the objects were from a welder, but law enforcement was able to determine the objects were from electric line transformers, the statement says.

Walstead was with Still and allegedly told law enforcement that he helped remove the transformer parts from a pickup truck, the statement says. He also allegedly said that he thought the parts came from a welder.