Port Colborne man pleads guilty in connection with attempted copper theft

For his role in an attempted copper theft that resulted in $100,000 in damage, a Niagara man has been convicted of mischief.

Mark Pero, 42, appeared in the Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines on Friday and pleaded guilty to the crime of mischief over $5,000.

The Port Colborne resident was sentenced to four months in custody. He was given credit for the time he had spent in pretrial custody, which reduced his sentence to 22 days.

On June 18, court was told, Niagara Regional Police received information from St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation security that three males were attempting to steal copper cable from a hydro tower on the left side of the Clarence Street Bridge in Port Colborne.

Pero and the other males were arrested at the scene.

Canadian Niagara Power later put