Police: Two men stole $85,000 in city lamps
Police say a two-man crime wave has been trying to turn the lights out on downtown revitalization.
Las Vegas marshals are looking for a man suspected of stealing almost 150 decorative brass sidewalk lamps near downtown.
Antwon Maurice Simmons, 31, is accused of stealing 147 brass lights worth about $85,000 total, not including labor. The lamps were installed in the ’90s to illuminate trees along Fourth Street between Colorado and Bridger avenues.
City officials said the thieves walked the center median at night and pulled the light housing from the ground. After they took the brass housing, they replaced the grates to make it appear the complete housing was still in place.
A man suspected of being Simmons’ accomplice, Michael Payne, 47, was arrested earlier this month on charges of theft and possession of stolen property.
Investigators said Payne and Simmons sold the brass pieces to recyclers, including SA Recycling at 1701 Western Ave. and Lakewood Recycling at 1609 Stocker Ave. in North Las Vegas.
According to Payne’s arrest report, the missing lights were first discovered by a city traffic engineer.
Investigators said Payne had sold 70 pounds of brass to Lakewood Recycling, earning $137. An employee told police Payne was a regular customer and often complained to him about how little Lakewood paid for brass compared with SA Recyling.
The investigators said that Payne sold 476 pounds of brass housings in two weeks, earning about $874.
The July 12 arrest report only accounted for 58 of the 147 stolen lamps.
Officials said the recycling facilities were allowed to keep the brass because the metal was no longer usable.
However, the city was able to recover some of the grates that covered the lights .
Simmons is described as a black man weighing about 160 pounds and standing 6 feet tall.
He is known to visit casino sports books and may be accompanied by a woman.
Anyone with information on Simmons is asked to contact investigators at 702-229-3223 or at mmccoy@lasvegasnevada.gov.
Reporter Henry Brean contributed to this report.
