Falls Twp. Police Seeking Whereabouts of Two Men Accused of Stealing Verizon Cables

Falls Township Police are seeking information on the whereabouts of two men who stand accused of ripping off copper and wire from a local gas fabricators business in Fairless Hills.

Police have issued warrants for the arrest of Robert Oestreich, 44 of Croydon, and Joseph Shaffer, 53 of Levittown. Both are accused of conspiracy for theft of secondary metal, receiving stolen property and criminal mischief. Police issued the following photos of the two men.

Anyone with information is asked to contact 911, if appropriate, or the non-emergency number (215) 328-8519. Information may also be provided to the assigned investigator, P/O Scott Hall, at (215) 949-9126, or via email at s.hall@fallstwppd.com.

Information may also be provided anonymously at (215) 949-9120, or via email at tiplines@fallstwppd.com

According to police, on Saturday March 8, 2025 at 5:59 p.m., Officer Scott Hall of Falls Twp. Police was dispatched to the area of Waste Gas Fabricating, located at 450 New Bold Road in the Fairless Hills section of Falls Township for a suspicious vehicle. Bucks County Radio advised the complainant observed a U-Haul truck, parked at the end of the above property for three hours, and requested police due to recent wire thefts in the area.

Hall, according to the arrest warrant, arrived on scene and observed the 2014 GMC “U-Haul” Truck, bearing Arizona registration “AG05268”, unoccupied, parked at the end of the driveway of the above property. On the ground, near the rear of the U-Haul, the officer located a bundle of loose wires, and observed an electric pole with cable wiring, that appeared to been have severed.

Oestreich was located and observed gathering metal wiring down the road of where the U-Haul was located, said police.

The officer asked Oestreich if the U-Haul belonged to him, which he stated it did. Hall then asked him if there was any more wiring inside the U-Haul, which he advised there was. Oestreich then opened up the rear sliding door of the U-Haul, in which the officer observed a bundle of loose metal wires, and two black trash bags containing more metal wiring, that was wrapped by a black outer sheath, appearing to be cable wire. Oestreich denied the claim that the wire in the black trash bags was his and when asked whose it was he pointed into the direction of where police located him, written in the affidavit.

Located on Oestreich’s person was the key for the U-Haul, various power saw blades, a flashlight, and a box cutter. Robert then stated he was there with a friend “Chuck,” later identified as Shaffer, who was later located by Corporal James Szamboti, said police.

Ofc. Hall made contact with Shaffer and asked where the tools used for cutting the wires were, which he stated they were in a bag down the road where he was located by Corporal Szamboti. Within the area of the bag Shaffer eluted to, police located a stack of multiple black outer sheaths, with multi colored copper wiring inside, in between a cut hole in the fence. On top of the stack was a black backpack with large pruning shear handles sticking out of the top. Police recovered approximately thirty black outer sheaths with multi colored copper wiring inside, which was confirmed to be owned by Verizon by a Verizon Employee, and estimated to be approximately $5,000 in materials and repairs, police wrote in the probable cause.