So far two men have been arrested and charged in a string of oilfield thefts that have taken place in Duchesne County. According to the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office, 39-year-old Jeremy Carl Anderton and 32-year-old Matthew Carl Mulhollem have each been charged with 3 felony counts of theft and 3 felony counts of criminal mischief in 8th District Court. Anderton and Mulhollem are accused of stealing approximately 4,000 pounds of copper wire from multiple oilfield locations in Duchesne County over the past two months and Mulhollem told detectives the stolen wire was sold to a scrap yard in Vernal and a scrap yard in Provo, shares the Sheriff’s Office. The break in the case came from a pair of shoe prints found at one of the oilfield locations which led to a series of interviews. “One interview led to the next, which led to the next,” shares Duchesne County Lt. Dela Rowley. “The detectives did a great job of piecing together information from each interview and moving to the next person. The details they gathered ultimately led us to Mr. Anderton and Mr. Mulhollem.” In addition to information obtained in the interviews, detectives were also able to gather physical evidence that linked both men to the thefts. Lt. Rowley also shared that investigators believe there are two more individuals involved and it is expected that charges will be filed against them as well. Tools and other property stolen from the oilfield sites during the thefts are being held at the Sheriff’s Office where they can be claimed by their legal owners. If you had any property stolen from a Duchesne County oilfield location, call the Sheriff’s Office at 435-738-2015.
