Six people from Northwest Indiana and Chicago’s south suburbs are in custody after Portage police said they were involved in a theft ring over two years that profited almost $2 million from stealing 20 million pounds of scrap steel destined for U.S. Steel Gary Works in Portage.
In August 2022, Portage Police received a report regarding the theft of a load of scrap metal referred to as “slitter” belonging to U.S. Steel.
Investigators with the department’s Detective Bureau discovered numerous other loads of scrap metal had been stolen from the same Portage location, according to a release from Lt. Rob Maynard, public information officer for the Portage Police Department.
The slitter should have been transported to the U.S. Steel Gary Works plant from the Portage location for recycling, but evidence showed that several subcontracted employees of U.S. Steel were diverting loads of slitter to a local recycling company, selling the scrap, and keeping the proceeds.
The scrapyard owner cooperated with the investigation and provided business records linking the suspects to the thefts. Subpoenas were issued for the suspects’ financial records which also linked them to the crime, Maynard said.
It was determined that between August 2020 and August 2022, the group stole over 20 million pounds of slitter and profited nearly $2 million in the scheme.
In custody are: Wardell W. Brown, 49, of Calumet City, Illinois, theft greater than $50,000, Level 5 felony; Jacob A. Reynolds, 34, of Cedar Lake, theft greater than $50,000, Level 5 felony; Joshua C. Riddle, 36, of Hammond, check fraud and theft greater than $50,000, Level 5 felonies; Marland Barner, 51, Sauk Village, Illinois, theft greater than $50,000, Level 5 felony; John Russell Smith Jr., 44, Crown Point, one count of theft greater than $50,000, Level 5 felony, and nine counts of check fraud, Level 6 felonies; Rafael Barrios Jr., 39, Portage, theft greater than $50,000, Level 5 felony.
This investigation is still ongoing and additional charges and arrests are possible. The Portage Police Department would like to thank U.S. Steel Investigations Division, Crown Point Police Department and Cedar Lake Police Department for their assistance during this investigation.
