Sacramento Tower Thief Admits to $260K Rectifier Scheme

SACRAMENTO, CA – Trevor Christopher Fountain, 38, formerly of Sacramento, has confessed to his role in a brazen interstate theft ring that crippled communications towers across multiple states. U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced Fountain’s guilty plea today, exposing a scheme that netted the conspirators at least $260,000 in stolen property.

Court documents reveal Fountain wasn’t working alone. He teamed up with Stephan James Evanovich, 46, of Sacramento; Jonathan Matthew Curl, 36, of Sacramento; and Andrea Carter, 35, formerly of Sacramento, to systematically target communications towers, ripping out vital rectifiers and other equipment. Rectifiers, the unsung heroes of cell service and emergency communications, provide the power necessary for these towers to function. Fountain’s job was the dirty work – the actual stealing – then passing the loot to Evanovich.

Evanovich, the alleged mastermind, then flipped the stolen goods, selling them to seemingly legitimate third-party vendors in California, Illinois, Colorado, and Texas. The operation was slick, moving over 485 stolen rectifiers across state lines, effectively masking the criminal origin of the equipment. To further conceal their activities, Fountain fabricated false invoices under the guise of a non-existent business, attempting to legitimize the stolen property in the eyes of buyers.

This wasn’t a smash-and-grab operation; it was a calculated, multi-state conspiracy. The investigation, spearheaded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Weld County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado, peeled back layers of deception to expose the full scope of the scheme. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Delaney is leading the prosecution, determined to bring all involved to justice.

Carter, an accomplice in the operation, already faced the consequences, receiving a 29-month prison sentence on June 5, 2025. Evanovich and Curl remain defiant, currently awaiting trial, scheduled for February 23, 2026. It’s crucial to remember these are merely allegations at this stage, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Fountain now faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine when he appears before U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on February 19, 2026. However, the final sentence will be determined by the judge, taking into account statutory factors and federal sentencing guidelines. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case as it unfolds, bringing you the unvarnished truth of federal crime.