The Hall County Sheriff’s Office is looking for an Alda man facing multiple charges related to pivot wire thefts in rural Hall County.

Charles Swisher Jr., 56, is charged with six counts of felony theft by unlawful taking, one count of misdemeanor theft by unlawful taking, five counts of felony criminal mischief, two counts of misdemeanor criminal mischief, one count of tampering with physical evidence and seven counts of second-degree trespassing.

A warrant has been issued for his arrest, but he has not ben arrested as of Monday morning.

Corey Robertson, 53, of Alda, has been referred to the Hall County Attorney’s Office for the same charges. Court records do not show charges for him as of Monday morning.

According to an arrest affidavit, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating eight pivot wire thefts that occurred between March 16 and June 29 near Alda.

Around 2:15 a.m. June 30, they said a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a blue 2002 Ford F250, driven by Swisher Jr., at the intersection of Highway 30 and Alda Road for having an obstructed license plate. Robertson was a passenger in the vehicle.

The deputy observed numerous tools and cut sections of black pivot wire in the bed of the pickup. The traffic stop was near the area of the reported pivot thefts.

The affidavit says Swisher Jr. told the deputy the tools belonged to his father who passed away two or three years ago and that he picked them and copper wire up in Halsey. Swisher Jr. allegedly stated he planned to strip the wire and sell it to a scrap metal dealer in Omaha.

After consenting to a search of the vehicle, the deputy found six large spools of wire and one bag of stripped wire that appeared to have been cut.

An investigator with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office later contacted the scrap metal dealer in Omaha who advised Swisher Jr. sold them wire, copper and other materials valued at more than $11,000 23 times this year. The sold items included 2,521 pounds of copper and 244 pounds of Bare Bright – a bare, uncoated and unalloyed wire or cable.

The sheriff’s office also contacted the Thomas County Sheriff who spoke with Swisher Jr.’s brother who told them their father did not have any pivots or any wire laying around any of their family’s properties.

A search warrant was later obtained for Swisher Jr.’s Alda residence. Court records say stolen pivot wire and other evidence was recovered from the scene.

While searching the residence, Robertson told deputies he had been with Swisher Jr. about a half dozen times when he went and stole wire from pivots in rural Hall County. He reportedly stated he was in the Ford F250 when Swisher Jr. stole it.

Robertson also told deputies he traveled with Swisher Jr. to Omaha one time when he went to sell the wire.

The Ford F250 was also searched and deputies recovered several tools believed to be used to cut, strip or detach pivot wire, as well as two bags of smaller wire that appeared to be strands of wire wrapped inside of the pivot wire insulation.

Deputies were unable to locate Swisher Jr. at his residence, but Robertson told them he liked to “hang out” at an abandoned building north of Old Potash Highway on 80th Road.

When deputies arrived at the scene, they were unable to locate Swisher Jr., but did locate a spool of wire insulation that appeared to have been cut and the wire removed.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Swisher Jr. is urged to contact the Hall County Sheriff’s Office at 308-385-5200.