Kenneth R. Morrison, Interstate Transportation of Stolen Goods, Indiana 2019

HAMMOND – In a stunning case of brazen theft, Kenneth R. Morrison, age 68, of Whiting, Indiana has been found guilty of interstate transportation of stolen goods after a 4-day jury trial before U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon, announced U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

According to records in the case, between December 2014 and January 2015, without authority the defendant dismantled the Monon Bridge in Hammond, Indiana, and transported pieces of the bridge to Burnham, Illinois where he sold the scrap for $18,000. He also sold parts of the bridge to a scrap dealer in East Chicago, Indiana.

The Monon Bridge, built in 1910, spanned the Grand Calumet River near Marble Street in Hammond. It was gifted to the City of Hammond by CFX Railroad in 1987.

The defendant's actions were a clear breach of trust, and the conviction serves as a reminder of the severity of such crimes. As the investigation revealed, Morrison's actions caused significant damage to the community and the environment.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Services with assistance from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Environmental Management and other members of the Environmental Crimes Task Force.

The U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental Natural Resource Division, Environmental Crimes Section Trial Attorney Richard J. Powers and Assistant United States Attorney Toi Denise Houston of the Northern District of Indiana prosecuted the case.

Morrison's sentencing date is scheduled for March 21, 2019.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndin/pr/whiting-man-convicted-after-4-day-jury-trial