2 arrested in sales of stolen steel rollers

A routine traffic stop gave the detective the break he needed.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Two Girard men are accused of stealing 80 steel rollers that weigh 4,000 to 8,000 pounds each and selling them for scrap.
Brian Kaczmark, 30, of Broadview Avenue and James E. Lee, 35, of Trumbull Avenue both face charges of felony theft and receiving stolen property. Lee's case has been bound over to a Mahoning County grand jury, and Kaczmark has a preliminary hearing set for Wednesday.
The thefts from M-7 Technologies on Ohio Works Drive likely began in January, with a few rollers taken at a time, probably at night, said Capt. Kenneth Centorame, chief of detectives. The business first discovered 30 steel rollers missing in March and then 50 more after an inventory was done, he said.
The rollers' value is around $750,000, Centorame said. The value of each roller, used by steel mills, varies from $7,500 to $10,000 depending on weight and type of steel, he said.
M-7 Technologies, which refurbishes products, has since taken steps to combat thefts, Centorame said.
The investigation
The case was assigned to Detective Sgt. Tom Parry, who investigates property crimes, burglaries and identity theft.
"Tom's persistence and hard work led to recovery of the rollers," Centorame said. "We didn't have much to go on at first -- his footwork led to the property and who sold it."
Parry got a break in the case after a patrol officer made a routine traffic stop of a truck in the area where the thefts occurred.
Parry checked the name on the traffic citation against names given by those who sold metal to local scrap yards and found a match, Centorame said.
The rollers had been sold as scrap to Youngstown Iron and Metal, which cooperated in the investigation, Centorame said. Parry obtained a search warrant for the scrap business on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and was able to recover all the rollers.
Centorame said the rollers were sold to Youngstown Iron and Metal for about $20,000, about $250 each.
Police said Kaczmark left his residence in Girard and fled to a house on Alderlick Road in Salineville to avoid arrest. He was captured there last week by members of the Street Crimes Unit and U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.
meade@vindy.com