Man pleads not guilty to copper welding cable theft in West Valley

A man who allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth of copper welding cable and hid it on a relative’s property pleaded not guilty to criminal charges Thursday in Flathead District Court.

Dustin Marvin, 28, of Kalispell, is charged with felony theft.

A Flathead County deputy was patrolling the West Valley area on Dec. 13, 2012, due to criminal activity in the area, when he noticed a vehicle ahead of him turn into the property of an abandoned house.

The manager of that property, a relative of Marvin’s, had previously asked for extra patrols in the area to stop the destruction of and theft of property at the location.

Marvin allegedly was found to be the driver of the vehicle and was wearing a headlamp. The deputy allegedly witnessed Marvin walk around the vehicle before eventually getting back in and leaving, at which point he pulled Marvin over, court records said.

Marvin reportedly said he was just checking on the property because of his relation to the property owner. He was then searched by the deputy, who allegedly found several bolt cutters, a flashlight and a roll of green coated wire in his backpack.

Marvin was then released from the scene.

Upon further investigation the deputy discovered Marvin had parked his vehicle, then dragged something through the snow and into a shed.

The court document states the deputy found a large coil of copper welding cable inside.

Marvin’s relative, who owned the property, told the deputy when asked that Marvin should not be on the property or be hiding anything in the shed.

A subsequent review of prior theft reports matched the coil of wire to a theft at LHC, and an employee of that company was later able to identify the coil as being the one taken from them. It was valued at approximately $2,000.

If convicted, Marvin faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000. His next hearing is set for July 17.

He is currently released on a $10,000 bond.