JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. – Three man face criminal charges over a series of copper wire thefts that occurred in Jefferson County over the last several weeks.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged Nicholas Montgomery, 49; Joe Barton III, 52; and Troy Richburg, 60, with various offenses related to wire theft, including multiple incidents targeting AT&T copper cables.
In all three cases, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office used trail cams to eventually catch the suspects in action. Charges date back to several reported incidents as recently as March 2025.
Copper wire thefts have become a recurring problem around the St. Louis region over the last few years. Authorities say similar crimes in the St. Louis area have involved suspects stripping black wire casings to access ultra-fine copper wiring, which can be burned to removed insulation in an effort to sell the wires for scrap.
According to court documents obtained by FOX 2:
Nicholas Montgomery
Montgomery is accused in four copper wire thefts from March 1-20, including three in rural Jefferson County and one in De Soto city limits.
Investigators say the thefts resulted in the loss of at least 1,100 feet of copper cabling and involved at least two cases of wires cut from utility poles.
On March 20, a camera captured video of Montgomery allegedly attempting to steal wires. A person of interest later confirmed Montgomery’s identity, which led to his arrest Thursday on outstanding warrants.
Montgomery, interviewed by police after his arrest, admitted to being involved in multiple cable thefts around Jefferson County and scouting a location in De Soto. Police later learned that three thefts occurred within half a mile of each other.
Joe Barton III
Barton is accused in one attempted copper wire theft captured on video by a trail camera on April 11.
Investigators say Barton was wearing yellow pants, a bluish color shirt and a green St. Louis Blues hat, clothing that helped identify him upon arrest.
When police responded to the scene of the trail cam, they found at least three individuals. Two individuals, whose identities were withheld and appears may have not been charged, were taken into custody. Barton escaped from the scene.
One day later, authorities interviewed one of the unnamed suspects, who invited police into his home. Police found Joe inside the home wearing the same St. Louis Blues hat on camera, along with yellow pants and the blueish shirt laying directly by the couch.
It’s unclear how much copper wire may have been stolen from the incident under investigation.
Troy Richburg
Richburg is accused in one copper wire theft linked to a private property on April 9.
Investigators say Richburg was found next to cut wire hidden in the woods after trail cams revealed his location and promptly arrested. The stolen wire was valued at a cost of $5,000.
Questioned by police after his arrest, Richburg reportedly cried and said, “I knew I shouldn’t have came here.”
ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS
Montgomery was charged with four counts of stealing telecommunications cable and possession of a controlled substance. Barton was charged with one count of stealing telecommunications cable. Richburg was charged with one count of stealing ($750 or more).
It’s unclear whether these arrests are all connected with each other.
In the cases of Montgomery and Richburg, probable cause statements described them as a danger to the community because the damages to telecommunications caused immediate outages and prevented citizens who utilize them from making emergency calls.