Thief causes 15-hour Internet outage

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CLEVELAND, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- An Ohio Internet provider said a 15-hour outage was caused by a "very dumb criminal" who stole a length of wire from a utility pole.

Ken Johnson, company manager of Conneaut Telephone Co., said Saturday's lengthy Internet outage was caused when a thief climbed a utility police and stole a length of wire that has very little cash value, The (Ashtabula, Ohio) Star Beacon, reported Tuesday.

"Basically, from what I know of the situation, some goofball went up on the utility poles somewhere between Geneva and Cleveland and thought they would steal some copper wire," Johnson said.

However, Johnson said the cable did not contain any wire.

"Whoever it was cut the cable and took it, but it has no worth," Johnson said. "This was a fruitless endeavor by a very dumb criminal."

Johnson said the thief cost the company $10,000 to $25,000 in replacement and labor costs.