West Virginia State Police and the Huntington Police Department along side the prosecutor’s office execute a warrant on West End Recycling Friday, June 5, 2015, in Huntington.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The 202-count indictment facing a Huntington recycling center and its owner follows the conviction of three participants and indictment of three others, according to analysis by The Herald-Dispatch.
It charges West End Recycling owner William “Bill” Smith with engaging in an organized, criminal enterprise by accepting 74,191 pounds of nickel and copper wire worth more than $315,000. It states paying for the stolen metal prompted theft within a group of at least 10 other participants.
Three already received probation in exchange for guilty pleas to grand larceny and related crimes in Cabell County, while two others await trial on similar charges in Mason County. Records indicate allegations facing a sixth man were folded into an unrelated indictment.
A summons ordered Smith to appear for arraignment at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 9. The indictment alleges single counts of conspiracy and engaging in an organized criminal enterprise, along with 200 counts of receiving stolen scrap metal. He did not return a call for comment.
Special Metals sustained the most significant loss, 22,853 pounds of nickel worth $168,591. The nickel was extremely rare, described as 99 percent pure…
