Two Men Caught Scrapping Stolen Goods, Blame Craigslist

The scene: Two men, and a trailer full of partially-deconstructed merchandise. The culprit: Craigslist, or so one of the suspects would have us believe. 

William John Cross, 38, and Nicholas Dean Schuyler, 20, are each charged with receiving stolen property, a felony punishable by up to 10 year of incarceration and a $20,000 fine.

On April 7, at 9:08 a.m. an officer with Burnsville Police Department was patrolling the west side of city, along the border with Savage, when he noticed a truck and trailer behind a business located on Chowen Avenue South. The officer knew of a number of unsolved thefts of scrap copper and other items in the area. Not long before this incident, he had personally taken a report of two condenser/cooler units that had been stolen on April 5 about a half mile away.

As the squad pulled into the area, the officer saw that the truck's front license plate was missing. Two white males were sitting inside. When asked what they were doing, Cross said they'd come over to scrap some items. He explained that he lived in Savage, but brought the goods the half-hidden spot so the noise "wouldn't wake the neighbors." The officer observed a lot of merchandise in the truck and trailer, much of which had already been cut up. Among the stockpile, the officer saw two condenser/ cooler units which appeared to be the items stolen two days before. The serial numbers matched the stolen units.

When asked where he'd gotten the units, Cross said he bought them about a week ago from a guy on Craigslist.

The two men were arrested on the spot. As he was being cuffed, Cross allegedly said, "I will never buy anything from Craigslist again."

Once in custody, police spoke to the other man, Schuyler, who said he got a call from Cross that morning, offering $30 to $40 to help him clear out his backyard. Court records show that Cross has run afoul of the City of Savage as of late, and has been told to clean up his property. Schuyler agreed, and Cross picked him up.

Schuyler soon noticed the units, and thought they seemed suspicious, he said. When he asked about them, Cross said they were stolen. Schuyler said he needed the money so he didn't ask anything more.

Each unit is valued at $6,500 each. 

Schuyler remains in custody at the Dakota County Jail, held on a $40,000 bond which will be reduced to $20,000 if he agrees to abide by court orders. Cross has since been released.