Vosges: Four Men Sentenced for Stealing Copper Cables Connected to Snow Cannons

Four men who repeatedly stole copper cables from snow-making equipment at the La Bresse-Hohneck ski resort in France’s Vosges region have been sentenced to prison terms.

The thefts took place four times between July 22 and Aug. 26. Gendarmes monitoring the suspects arrested them during another attempted theft on the night of Sept. 1-2. All four admitted the offenses and explained them by the financial gain available from reselling copper.

The men stole a total of 800 kilograms of cable, according to Vosges Matin. The operating company has not completed its assessment of the damage, but the loss currently stands at 200,000 euros, according to the prosecutor of Épinal, Frédéric Nahon.

The defendants, who come from the Territoire de Belfort, appeared under France’s guilty-plea procedure. Each received a three-year sentence, with 24 or 27 months suspended under probation, depending on the case. They were also fined 5,000 euros each. Prosecutors said they were not, or were only slightly, known to police and the justice system.