Kelly Marie Pfeiffer, 43, and Scott Anthony Frederich, 38, both of High Ridge, have been charged for allegedly stealing telecommunication wires in Jefferson and St. Louis counties, court documents show.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on April 3 charged both Pfeiffer and Frederich with stealing, a class D felony that is punishable by up to seven years in prison, court records said.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Dec. 27 had charged the pair with a class D felony stealing charge and first-degree property damage, a class E felony that carries a penalty of up to four years in prison.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office arrested Pfeiffer on May 14. As of May 16, she was being held on a $2,000 surety-bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, according to court documents.
Court records show Frederich was released April 4 after posting bond at the Jefferson County Jail.
According to the probable-cause statement filed by the Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called on Dec. 16, 2024, to the 4000 block of Jeffco Boulevard just south of Arnold after telecommunication wires were stolen. Approximately $15,000 worth of wire, which belonged to Boost Mobile, was stolen from the cell tower site.
Surveillance video allegedly showed Frederich stripping and stealing cables, and Pfeiffer also was seen in the video. The detective learned the two entered the site by using a universal code known to cell tower workers to unlock a padlock, the report said.
St. Louis County Police had previously learned Frederich was a former telecommunication worker, according to the report.
According to the probable-cause statement filed by the St. Louis County Police, an officer on Aug. 30, 2024, was called to a cell phone transmission tower in Wildwood due to suspicious people reportedly seen in the area. The officer found Frederich and Pfeiffer at the site.
Frederich was suspended by a rope about 60 feet off the ground, and Pfeiffer was stacking pieces of wire next to a fence line. The two allegedly said they worked for Penta Communications, but they did not have any proof of employment or a work order explaining why they were at the site, the report said.
St. Louis County Police reported it would cost more $1,000 to replace the cut wire and repair other damages.