Police: Two Men Caught with $2K Worth of Manhole Covers

Two men were caught stealing manhole covers, valued around $2,200, from road construction sites along Lincoln Highway on Jan. 14, according to reports.

Kyle J. Kodatt, 26, of the 800 block of Prairie Road in New Lenox, and Daryle J. Loehr, 32, of the 400 block of Blackhawk Street in Joliet, were charged with felony theft. The two were booked into Will County Jail and released on bail.

officers were called to the intersection of Wolf Road and Lincoln Highway at 11:15 p.m. Jan. 14 when a witness reported seeing two men in reflective vests loading construction equipment into a green Ford Windstar near the intersection of Lincoln Highway and 108th Avenue, said Cmdr. Kevin Keegan. The witness told officers she thought it was strange that the men were putting materials into a van and she took down the van's license information, Keegan said.

later stopped the van near the intersection of Marley Road and Lincoln Highway, according to Keegan. The Frankfort officers were alerted and identified Kodatt and Loehr, Keegan added. The duo told officers they were taking manhole covers that were being used in the U.S. Route 30 construction project so they could sell them to a Joliet scrap yard, Keegan said, adding that the officers contacted the project's supervisor, who decided to press charges.

These types of construction site crimes are not uncommon, Keegan said. Manhole covers marked "Village of Frankfort" on them have been stolen in the past, as well as full scaffoldings worth thousands of dollars. Because regulations for scrap yards aren't something that are really looked at, criminals are able to sell these items for top dollar, Keegan said.