Theft Ring Leader Sentenced to Prison

A federal court sentenced a ringleader to six years and five months for his role in a multi-state tower equipment theft scheme.

Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Property Crime

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Stephan James Evanovich has been sentenced to six years and five months in prison for his leadership in a criminal organization that stole and sold more than 700 rectifiers. The group targeted communication towers, laundering the stolen equipment through fraudulent business invoices.

Why it matters

This case highlights the systematic targeting of critical infrastructure, as the group operated across state lines to sell stolen technical equipment. By using fictitious businesses to disguise their sales, the ring impacted telecommunications operations in multiple regions.

Stephan James Evanovich received a sentence of six years and five months for conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property. Accomplices Jonathan Matthew Curl, Andrea Carter, and Trevor Fountain were also sentenced to prison terms ranging from 20 to 29 months.

The players

Stephan James Evanovich

He is the 47-year-old ringleader of the operation who falsified invoices to sell stolen equipment.

Jonathan Matthew Curl

The 37-year-old co-conspirator was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $282,193 in restitution.

Andrea Carter

This 36-year-old participant in the theft ring received a sentence of 29 months in prison.

Trevor Fountain

The 38-year-old accomplice was sentenced to 20 months in prison and ordered to pay $225,989 in restitution.

The details

The theft ring gained unauthorized access to communication towers to extract specialized rectifiers. The ringleader then used fake business names on invoices to simulate legitimate sales across California, Illinois, Colorado, and Texas.

June 5, 2025: Andrea Carter was sentenced to 29 months in prison.
April 23, 2026: Jonathan Matthew Curl was sentenced to two years in prison.
August 6, 2026: Trevor Fountain was sentenced to 20 months in prison.
October 2026: Stephan James Evanovich received his prison sentence.

Legal Context

This prosecution follows the federal enforcement patterns established by the Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property Act regarding the movement of criminal proceeds across borders. The case reflects ongoing efforts by federal authorities to dismantle interstate theft rings that target critical utility and communication infrastructure.

The disruption of this theft ring helps secure the integrity of the local communication towers and utility infrastructure that residents rely on for daily connectivity. Authorities continue to monitor such operations to prevent future service outages caused by the illegal removal of network hardware.

The takeaway

The successful prosecution of this ring demonstrates the federal commitment to penalizing the systematic theft of industrial equipment. Consumers should report any suspicious activity around utility or communication towers to local law enforcement to help prevent similar infrastructure crimes.