Man charged with break and enter, arson after Vermilion RCMP investigation

A Saskatchewan man is facing charges after police believe they’ve found a copper wire thief.

Vermilion RCMP have been investigating multiple copper wire thefts from within the County of Vermilion River. These thefts have resulted in thousands of dollars in damages and has a large impact on local businesses within the community, RCMP said. 

On June. 25, 2023, Vermilion RCMP received a complaint of theft and mischief to an oil lease site.

RCMP attended and observed that a fire had been set on the property and copper wire had been taken. An investigation was initiated which resulted in Vermilion RCMP linking a vehicle to the scene and identifying a suspect.

As a result of the investigation, 44-year-old Shane Peter Comerford, a resident of Prelate, Saskatchewan, was charged with the following:

• Arson
• Break and enter
• Mischief under $5000
• Theft under $5000

Comerford was taken before a Justice of the Peace and released to appear at the Alberta Court of Justice in Vermilion on Jan. 15, 2024.