About 40 cabins, trailers, and seasonal homes have been broken into in Mackinac, Chippewa, and Luce counties over the past two months, many of which were stripped of their copper electrical wiring and plumbing. Because of the geography, timeline, and similarity of these break-ins, police are assuming the crimes are connected.

An arrest was made in one case last week. Two men were arrested Monday, November 2, in connection with an alleged breaking and entering incident in Kinross Township. Jamie Richard Lannoo, 31, of St. Ignace, and Stevan Allen Heath, 37, of Bradenton, Florida, were arraigned Tuesday, November 3, in 91st District Court in Chippewa County.

Chippewa County Prosecutor Brian Peppler has charged both men with one count of breaking and entering a building with the intent to commit larceny and one count possession of burglary tools. If convicted, both face up to 10 years in prison for the offenses, both felonies, although Mr. Peppler said prior crimes on Mr. Heath's record could mean up to 15 years in prison.

"The matter is still under investigation for possible additional charges," Mr. Peppler said. A preliminary examination for both men has been set for 10:45 a.m. Monday, November 16, at the 91st District Court in Sault Ste. Marie. This hearing will determine what charges may be brought against the two defendants during a trial in 50th Circuit Court, which has not yet been scheduled.

Police are investigating a string of similar break-ins.

"There have been about 40 similar incidents," Chippewa County Sheriff Detective Mike Bitnar said. "I don't know if they are all connected, but they are all similar."

About six or seven break-ins and copper thefts were reported to the St. Ignace State Police Post, State Police Detective Robin Sexton said, and Mackinac County Sheriff's office has responded to about the same number of complaints.

"It appears to have started up in Chippewa County," Mr. Sexton said. "They have moved south since."

The first of these break-ins in Mackinac County appears to have occurred in early October, he said, although the dates on many of these crimes are difficult to pinpoint because the owners are not reporting them right away.

The target for this rash of breakins seems to be mostly secondary dwellings, Mr. Sexton said, namely seasonal cottages, hunting camps, cabins, and trailers that are not primary homes, which means owners are often reporting the crimes days, weeks, or even months after the crime may have been committed.

Joseph Massaway of St. Ignace said he and his father, John Massaway, are two of the victims of this series of crimes, since they discovered their trailer in St. Ignace Township was broken into and stripped of all the electrical wiring and plumbing.

"They basically just stripped the whole place on us," Mr. Massaway said. "We are pretty upset about it. It's going to cost a couple thousand dollars to get it ready for deer camp again."

He observed that someone had gotten under the trailer and ripped out all of the plumbing, broke into the trailer and tore out all the wiring, switches, and receptacles, removed all the copper and brass plumbing and fixtures, and even took the $1,500 propane furnace that John Massaway had just installed.

A cabin on the same property was also broken into and someone removed the access panels for the crawl space underneath the cabin, but nothing was stolen. The fuel oil stove had been disconnected and it looked like it was ready for someone to come back and get it, Mr. Massaway said.

Mr. Massaway said whoever broke in must have been there during the last week in October.

"They literally just trashed the place and took everything out of it," he said. "It's pathetic. It really is."

Those who sell scrap metal to salvage yards have to give their identification and fingerprints, under a new law.

There are a few options in the area for selling scrap metal like the copper piping and wiring, including Reid Metals in Dafter and A and L Scrap Yard in Kinross. There are also metal scrap dealers south of the Mackinac Bridge.

Enough piping and wiring to support a hunting cabin could be worth between $100 and $200, workers at Reid Metals in Dafter said. All sales of scrap metals at the yard now include recording information from the seller's driver's license and taking their fingerprints, owing to a new state law enacted this April.

The law, passed in January, penalizes anyone who knowingly buys or sells stolen scrap metal with up to five years and a fine of up to $5,000, or both. Sellers are required to present scrap metal dealers with a driver's license or state ID card, allow the buyer to take a thumbprint, and sign a statement indicating they are the owner of the metal and have never been convicted of metal theft.

Since the allegedly connected break-ins spread across two counties, several law enforcement agencies and prosecutors offices have been working cooperatively on the case, including the Mackinac County Sheriff's office, Chippewa County Sheriff's office, State Police based out of St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie, and prosecutors from both Mackinac and Chippewa counties.