Three Charged in Milwaukee Streetlight Copper Wire Thefts Costing City $830,000

The Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office has charged three men in separate cases involving the theft of copper wire from Milwaukee streetlights, with roughly $10,000 of wire taken in the specific incidents described in court filings.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson said Monday that Milwaukee has logged nearly 250 such thefts over roughly the past two years, costing the city more than $830,000. Department of Public Works commissioner Jerrel Kurschke said 77 of the roughly 150 circuit outages DPW crews responded to in August alone were tied to theft. "This is not a victimless crime. It costs the city of Milwaukee money," Johnson said. Kurschke said the work "is doubling the amount of work our electricians have to do to repair."

Charged are 51-year-old Alvin Harris, 57-year-old Daryll Horton and 55-year-old Mario Gill. Harris faces fleeing police, two counts of conspiracy to commit criminal damage to property, two counts of conspiracy to commit theft and possession with intent to deliver cocaine. Horton faces three counts of criminal damage to property and two counts of felony bail jumping. Gill faces criminal damage to property and theft.

The Milwaukee Police Department's Major Crimes Unit began investigating in September 2026. Suspects opened ground vault junction boxes and access panels at the base of light poles to reach wire inside. Court filings detail five thefts from mid-August to mid-October 2026.

On Aug. 14, DPW employees saw a man pulling wire along Atkinson Avenue between 15th and 16th streets, smashing remaining wire with a brick before running off. About 2.5 reels were taken at an estimated cost of $1,020. On Sept. 9 near 66th and Custer, police found open junction boxes and 25 non-functioning poles across six locations. A Chevrolet SUV fled; police identified Harris as the driver.

On Oct. 1 at Teutonia and Ring, surveillance video showed a man tampering with a junction box as a blue Chevrolet Tahoe arrived. A city electrician found four vaults tampered with and 1,000 feet of wire worth $4,150 missing. On Oct. 10 at the same intersection, police arrested Horton with about 750 feet of wire valued at roughly $3,112.50, plus 120 feet worth $474 reported taken separately.

On Oct. 13 near Teutonia and Nash, detectives watched subjects pull wire from a ground vault. Gill was arrested with wire cutters, a wrench, a screwdriver and a metal pipe; receipts from a scrapyard in his name were found in the car along with DPW wire. Eight junction boxes were found entered and four pole access panels damaged. Police estimated 1,000 feet of wire worth about $2,865 plus labor costs was taken. Harris was arrested Oct. 20 near 13th and Atkinson with crack cocaine in his pocket.

Horton told police he found wire at a cemetery and said he "ain't just busting nothing" but admitted pulling wire occasionally. Gill admitted stealing wire on Oct. 13 and at least 16 prior occasions, identifying Harris as the "Green Goblin" who helped him. Harris said he bought wire he knew was stolen to sell to scrapyards.