Millersburg man charged in alleged Rails to Trails bridge theft
A Millersburg man has been charged in the theft of steel bridges from the Holmes County Rails to Trails right-of-way.
Kenneth E. Taylor, 58, of 4627 Township Road 55, is charged in a Sept. 19 Holmes County grand jury indictment with vandalism, aggravated theft and breaking and entering.
According to Prosecuting Attorney Steve Knowling, the charges come after Holmes County Park District officials were informed that two bridges on an undeveloped section of Rails to Trails between state Route 60 and state Route 520 had been removed. The bridges were on a section of trail that crosses through property owned by Taylor’s mother, Helen Taylor. The indictment indicates the bridges were removed between “May and June 2011.”
Taylor has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Knowling said Kenneth Taylor arranged for a contractor to remove the bridges and a second contractor to cut up the bridges for scrap. The bridges were property of the park district, Knowling said, secured in a 2009 recreational easement.
The bridges were installed during the trail’s days as a railroad and will cost “in excess of $100,000 to replace,” Knowling said.
Jen Halverson, park district director, said the bridges were to be incorporated into the final construction. The section of trail running from Killbuck to Brinkhaven is currently undeveloped and closed to recreational traffic. A design study was recently completed in the area between state Route 60 and state Route 520, Halverson said.
“We already had the bridges inspected and we were going to use them pretty much as they were,” Halverson said. “They were good, solid steel structures.”
According to Holmes County Recorder records, the park district purchased the easement from Helen Taylor for $91,300. The easement grants the Taylor family the use of the trail for the purposes of crossing livestock or farm-related machinery.
Knowling said the easement gave the park district ownership of “the dirt, bridges, gravel and everything else.”
“Based upon our investigation, we could find no legal reason whatsoever to do what (Kenneth Taylor) did,” Knowling said. “He had no legal right to those bridges.”
Knowling said Helen Taylor was unaware the bridges were removed. The contractors have not been implicated in any wrong-doing, Knowling said.
Kenneth Taylor’s attorney, John A. Burnworth, was unavailable for comment Wednesday, Sept. 21.
The vandalism and aggravated theft charges are third degree felonies, each carrying up to five years in prison. Breaking and entering is a fifth-degree felony and carries up to 12 months in prison.
Kenneth E. Taylor, 58, of 4627 Township Road 55, is charged in a Sept. 19 Holmes County grand jury indictment with vandalism, aggravated theft and breaking and entering.
According to Prosecuting Attorney Steve Knowling, the charges come after Holmes County Park District officials were informed that two bridges on an undeveloped section of Rails to Trails between state Route 60 and state Route 520 had been removed. The bridges were on a section of trail that crosses through property owned by Taylor’s mother, Helen Taylor. The indictment indicates the bridges were removed between “May and June 2011.”
Taylor has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Knowling said Kenneth Taylor arranged for a contractor to remove the bridges and a second contractor to cut up the bridges for scrap. The bridges were property of the park district, Knowling said, secured in a 2009 recreational easement.
The bridges were installed during the trail’s days as a railroad and will cost “in excess of $100,000 to replace,” Knowling said.
Jen Halverson, park district director, said the bridges were to be incorporated into the final construction. The section of trail running from Killbuck to Brinkhaven is currently undeveloped and closed to recreational traffic. A design study was recently completed in the area between state Route 60 and state Route 520, Halverson said.
“We already had the bridges inspected and we were going to use them pretty much as they were,” Halverson said. “They were good, solid steel structures.”
According to Holmes County Recorder records, the park district purchased the easement from Helen Taylor for $91,300. The easement grants the Taylor family the use of the trail for the purposes of crossing livestock or farm-related machinery.
Knowling said the easement gave the park district ownership of “the dirt, bridges, gravel and everything else.”
“Based upon our investigation, we could find no legal reason whatsoever to do what (Kenneth Taylor) did,” Knowling said. “He had no legal right to those bridges.”
Knowling said Helen Taylor was unaware the bridges were removed. The contractors have not been implicated in any wrong-doing, Knowling said.
Kenneth Taylor’s attorney, John A. Burnworth, was unavailable for comment Wednesday, Sept. 21.
The vandalism and aggravated theft charges are third degree felonies, each carrying up to five years in prison. Breaking and entering is a fifth-degree felony and carries up to 12 months in prison.
Published: September 21, 2011
