Man admits to shooting at power substations in Utah, Nevada

May 12, 2019, 10:02 AM

Garkane Energy Cooperative provided this photo back in 2016 when it announced a $50,000 reward for information about the vandalism.

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

KSLNewsRadio

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A 59-year-old Utah man has admitted shooting at power substations, including one where damage knocked out power to two counties.

Stephen Plato McRae of Escalante pleaded guilty Friday to one count of destruction of an energy facility in a deal with prosecutors who dropped other charges.

McRae admitted shooting into cooling fins of a Garkane Energy Cooperative substation, causing a power outage in Kane and Garfield counties on Sept. 25, 2016.

No motive was stated in the plea agreement, which also cites 2015 and 2016 damage to substations in Utah’s San Juan County and Nevada’s Humboldt and White Pine counties.

McRae agreed to pay $380,000 of restitution and to stay out of six Utah counties where Garkane operates while he is on probation after he serves a prison sentence.

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