Crime & Safety
Police Log: Sept. 12 to Sept. 15
This is a summary of reports provided to JohnstonPatch by the Johnston Police Department for Sept. 12 to Sept. 15. It does not indicate a conviction.
Conspiracy To Steal Scrap:
An employee of Schnitzer Northeast, off Killingly Street, allegedly conspired with another person to steal scrap metal from his employer, only to have the person return at a later date and scrap the metal at Schnitzer, police said this week.
arrested Jerome M. Doncouse, 55, of 11 Lafayette St., Johnston, and Jamie L. Oliver, 35, of 129 Pinnery Ave., Warwick, on charges of larceny under $500 and conspiracy.
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On Sept. 13, Ptlm. Mark Bairos responded to a call reporting a customer stealing from Schnitzer Northeast. Bairos arrived at the intersection of Carl Street and Maria Avenue to find scrap metal on the ground near a Chevrolet Silverado that also had scrap metal in the rear of the truck. The driver of the truck, later identified as Oliver, was on scene, along with a Schnitzer employee who had followed Oliver to the location.
Oliver allegedly arrived at Schnitzer Northeast around 8 a.m. on Sept. 13 with the back of his truck filled with scrap metal. Oliver drove his truck onto the scale and then to the area where the metal is
unloaded.
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After unloading, drivers are required to stop at the weigh station again, and the driver is paid for the weight of scrap metal taken off the vehicle.
Oliver drove past the scale house and off the property without weighing his truck or receiving payment for the metal he scrapped. Surveillance footage reportedly showed items in the bed of his truck covered by a blanket. Oliver then allegedly returned to Schnitzer Northeast around 8:30 a.m. to have his truck weighed and to collect his payment.
During a later interview with Det. Anthony Sasso, Doncouse allegedly said he helped Oliver with five or six thefts over the past month or two.
According to Doncouse, Oliver would call ahead to arrange a time to meet at the scrap yard. On Sept. 13, Doncouse, a crane operator, admitted that he told Oliver there was a pile next to the crane that contained aluminum.
When Oliver arrived, Doncouse said he purposely turned his head and continued to work the crane as Oliver loaded the scrap metal into the back of his pickup truck.
In previous attempts, Oliver would later cash the scrap metal in at Schnitzer and split the money with Doncouse.
When Bairos arrived at Schnitzer to review the surveillance footage, the facility supervisor told Bairos he reviewed the footage of Oliver’s
previous transactions and found that Oliver did the same thing each time.
