BALTIMORE (AP) — An electrician at the Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground is facing up to five years in prison for his part in the theft of tons of copper from the base.

Timothy Bittner of Bel Air pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

Bittner has also agreed to forfeit $87,038 received from the sale of the stolen wire, and pay $33,711 to reimburse the military for the cost of replacing wires taken from government buildings, prosecutors said.

In addition to wire taken from the buildings,prosecutors say Bittner also took about five tons of copper wire buried underground at the base, using government vehicles to pull the wire from the ground.
Bittner is one of four men charged in the case, and prosecutors plan to argue at his Oct. 30 sentencing that he was the leader of the ring, said Vickie LeDuc, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Robert W. Reynolds, 29, of Felton, Pa., Steven M. Coale, 33, of Northeast, and Ronald Phillips Baker, 62, of Havre de Grace, have also been charged in the case. Baker and Coale are to be re-arraigned on Thursday and Reynolds entered a plea last month.

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