A Williamsburg man faces more than two dozen charges related to operating a chop shop after an investigation into the theft of multiple pieces of equipment from area contractors.
On Tuesday, search warrants were executed on multiple properties owned by Wayne A. Baker, 46, who was originally accused of taking mining belts from Grannas Bros. Ganister quarry in the early morning hours of Feb. 24.
Officers investigating that theft were led on a monthslong investigation that had police securing search warrants for Baker’s cellphone data and using drones, video surveillance and a GPS tracking device to gather information on what court documents outline as a wide-ranging theft ring.
According to court documents, state police were dispatched to the Ganister quarry on the 1300 block of Juniata River Road where $2,000 worth of mining belts were removed. Because of prior thefts, the company installed trail cameras, and the quarry supervisor received an alert to the photos, sent to his phone.
The photos showed two people in a UTV on the company’s property at 12:49 a.m.
Police learned Baker’s land bordered the quarry and that last year he cut down trees on the property, after which Grannas Bros. had a survey completed and sent Baker a letter stating he was not allowed to enter the property. Other efforts were made to keep people off the property, namely large boulders were placed on the property boundary line. However, tracks indicated the UTV went around the boulders along the Juniata River.
After checking state registration records, police found Baker had an UTV like the one in the photos. On March 2, police obtained a search warrant for Baker’s cellphone records, but did not receive the report until March 31, court documents show.
The cellphone data included messages to and front Baker’s phone, including a message at 4:26 a.m. Feb. 23 that said “ppl (people) already working man.” The reply from Baker’s phone said “Be quiet it adds to the fun at least dolly it to the edge of the bank.” The reply from the other phone is “lol.”
On May 19, police investigated the theft of a root rake hydraulic head unit that was attached to a John Deere tractor on Fox Run Road in Catharine Township. The equipment belonged to Penn Line and was valued at $7,000, police reported. The victim found a paint chip at the scene that did not belong to the equipment, and when driving past a Yellow Springs Road, Williamsburg, home, the victim saw a truck parked there had the same color paint as the chip. Police found that Baker, who operates B&W Construction, lives at that address, which is less than four miles from the theft location.
On May 24, police executed a second search warrant on Baker’s phone records. Those records place Baker’s phone in the immediate area of the theft, court records state.
On June 27, police interviewed a source of information at the Blair County Prison and were told the inmate was working under the table for Baker and did was he was told, namely driving the UTV to pick up items from property near Grannas Bros. quarry, including a roll of mining belt and a drive pulley, and to rake up dirt to cover the tracks.
The informant said Baker and his son took the items earlier in the night and the informant said he had a lot of knowledge about stolen items that Baker has and/or has instructed others to do for him, estimating the value at $500,000 in equipment, items and vehicles over the past few years.
In the report, police note that Baker was a suspect in the 2017 theft of a backhoe bucket.
The informant mentioned that police were probably investigating thefts from New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. Inc. While police said no thefts were reported, further analysis of cellphone data show Baker’s phone was in the area of NES&L in Roaring Spring during the midnight hours when the quarry is closed.
In August, officers conducted an interview with the informant, who said he was told Baker and another man stole a tri-axle Mack dump truck from NES&L and the truck was currently at Baker’s shop. Baker had changed the door to remove the VIN number, police were told.
Police again analyzed cellphone data and found that Baker’s phone was in the area of the quarry about 8:03 a.m. Saturday, June 25. An employee and site manager said there would have been no reason for anyone to be in the area where the soon-to-be auctioned equipment is stored.
Police were told by the informant that Baker would complete repairs and/or change VIN plates on vehicles so they are again roadworthy and can be titled as reconstructed vehicles or to hide the vehicles’ identity.
Police said Baker was in possession of a 2019 Mack dump truck with a reconstructed title. Further investigation found the inspection station where a worker said Baker had an older Mack truck that failed inspection and that he provided a title that didn’t match the model year. A Carfax report showed the truck was last registered to NES&L and the site manager there discovered the truck was missing from the lot. In addition, police were told that 500 gallons of diesel fuel were removed from equipment parked in the auction lot. NES&L also reported a missing Ingersoll Rand pull-behind air compressor.
The informant told police Baker had skid steers stolen from Bedford County and that Baker switched the VIN plates on at least one of the stolen pieces. Police were also told about a jack hammer stolen from Tyrone and a generator taken from NES&L. Police reports confirmed the thefts were reported, court documents state.
Police also received a report of items stolen from state game lands 147 in Blair County. The items included tools, tractor wheel weights, batteries, diesel fuel and multiple sickle bar parts. The thefts occurred sometime between Aug. 18 and Aug. 22; Baker’s phone data shows it in the area on
The Jackson Township Police Department contacted state police about a 2007 CAT hydraulic excavator theft from Mineral Point, Cambria County. The value of the excavator, owned by Toy Pipeline Contractors, was set at $180,000. Jackson Township police were familiar with Baker because he was cited with multiple traffic violations there in May and they knew he was under investigation, police stated.
Video surveillance from a neighboring home in Mineral Point shows a gray/silver Mack tri-axle truck, similar to the one Baker is known to have, police said.
Phone records again put Baker in the area of the theft, police reported, and using the phone data, police obtained video surveillance from the Donut Connection in Hollidaysburg that shows a gray/silver dump truck hauling an excavator past that location on the date the equipment was stolen.
Baker’s phone data shows the phone in the area of Golden Retriever Lane/Mountain View Kennels and the state police drone team found the CAT excavator on Sept. 12 at this location, police reported.
During the investigation, police also received a court order to place a GPS tracker on the 1997 Mack truck that was suspected stolen from NES&L and followed its movements.
On Tuesday, the search warrants were executed on properties belonging to Baker where the stolen dump truck was tracked. More than $300,000 worth of equipment was seized, court records state.
The CAT excavator, which had an altered/defaced VIN, was located on the 300 block of Golden Retriever Lane. Police said it was confirmed stolen.
Other items seized included a CAT skid steer, valued at $15,000; a CAT mini-excavator, $35,000; two Bobcat skid steers, $30,000, one of which was confirmed stolen from Bedford County; an Ingersoll commercial air compressor, $15,000, confirmed to be stolen from NES&L; mining belt and pulleys, $2,500, confirmed stolen from Grannas Bros.; 1997 Mack dump truck, $25,000, confirmed stolen and re-VINned; root rake backhoe attachment, $7,000, Penn Line confirmed it was its stolen root rake; and a VIN stamp kit.
In addition, police seized suspected methamphetamine from Baker.
Police reported that some equipment was missing VIN data and it is uncertain if all the items were stolen. In addition, police noted in the report that most of the alleged thefts would have required two or three additional people, though no others were named or charged as of Wednesday.
Baker was arraigned Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Matthew Dunio on seven felony counts of theft of unlawful taking, six felony counts of receiving stolen property, four felony counts each of alteration or destruction of vehicle identification numbers and disposition of vehicle or vehicle part with altered VIN, one felony count each of operating a chop shop, corrupt organizations, conspiracy, criminal use of a communication facility and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity, along with misdemeanor counts of defiant trespass, possession of an instrument of crime and possession of a controlled substance.
Bail was set at $75,000. According to the court docket, a professional bondsman from Uniontown posted $100,000 in surety bonds, though the docket states Baker is in the Blair County Prison. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 27 before Magisterial District Judge Paula M. Aigner.
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