Last of a dozen men sentenced in Florida wind farm copper theft

PITTSFIELD -- The last man of nearly a dozen accused of stealing and scrapping copper from a Florida wind farm in 2013 was handed a 2 1/2 year suspended sentence on Tuesday.

Brian McAdoo, 36, of Summer Street, Adams, pleaded guilty in Berkshire Superior Court on Tuesday to his role in stealing and selling thousands of pounds of copper wire from Iberdrola Renewables, which owns and operates the wind farm on Bakke Mountain in Florida. Prosecutors estimated the value of the wire to be in excess of $50,000, and McAdoo has agreed to pay $5,000 in restitution.

McAdoo admitted Tuesday to driving alleged ringleader Mark Bednarz — who was sentenced to up to five years in state prison in January for his role — to Florida Mountain for the copper, then assisting in scrapping it and sharing the proceeds.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of receiving stolen property over $250 and wanton destruction of property over $250 after reaching an agreement with prosecutors through his attorney, David A. Pixley.

In statements to police, Bednarz claimed that McAdoo had recruited him to sell the copper — an accusation that McAdoo continued to deny on Tuesday, despite admitting to having a role in the operation. A search warrant of McAdoo's house turned up evidence that wire was being processed and handled in the basement of his Summer Street home, according to Assistant Berkshire District Attorney Joseph Yorlano.

McAdoo agreed to pay $3,000 in restitution on Tuesday and will pay the remaining $2,000 over time, per the ruling from Judge John A. Agostini.