The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that two men have been arrested in a string of thefts targeting Duke Energy equipment – crimes that investigators say racked up about $1 million in damage and, in one case, knocked out power for about 5,600 residents for six hours.
Detectives with the District 2 Criminal Investigations Division of the Sheriff’s Office executed search warrants Monday, Sept. 22, at two Whitsett locations – 3386 Old Julian Road and 3400 Old Julian Road – as part of the probe. The searches led to the arrests of Brian Keith Gerner, 47, and Kenneth Lee Gregory, 45, who were both charged in connection with multiple incidents that damaged Duke Energy infrastructure.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Gerner is charged with two counts of felony injury to an energy facility and three counts of felony obtaining property by false pretense. He was booked into the Guilford County Detention Center in Greensboro on a $100,000 secured bond and has since been released.
Gregory faces two counts of felony injury to an energy facility and four counts of felony obtaining property by false pretense. Due to his criminal history and current probation status, he remains in custody at the Greensboro jail under a $10,000 secured bond. His next court date is October 28.
Investigators say that warrants have also been obtained for a third person who is not yet in custody.
Thieves often target transformers, wiring and other gear for the metal inside – especially copper – which can be stripped and sold at scrap yards for quick cash. The payoff is relatively small, but the collateral damage is often gigantic: cut lines and gutted boxes take down power to neighborhoods and businesses, repairs are costly and slow, and the work itself is dangerous for both the thieves and utility crews.
That mismatch – low resale value versus high repair costs and public risk – is why North Carolina treats most tampering that disables power systems as a felony and why utility companies keep urging the public to report suspicious activity near substations and roadside cabinets.
Sheriff Danny Rogers said this week that searches and arrests capped an investigation by District 2 detectives regarding multiple thefts tied to Duke Energy sites.
The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that the case remains active as authorities work to locate the third suspect and determine whether any other incidents are connected.
Anyone with information about the thefts is being asked to contact Detective Sergeant A. Johnson at 336-641-2690 or call Guilford County Crimestoppers at 336-373-1000.
Tips to Crimestoppers can be made anonymously.
In some cases, good information makes you eligible for a reward.
