Cleveland Cliffs burglary suspect found guilty

One of the people involved in a break-in and theft at Cliffs Mining in Schroeder in March 2016 has been found guilty in Cook County court.

On January 26, a jury in the Sixth District Court in Grand Marais found Madison Rose Vail, 23, of Lindstrom, Minnesota guilty of two counts of burglary, one count of criminal damage to property, and one count of receiving stolen property.

The charges against Vail stemmed from a report of trespassing by a Cleveland Cliffs staffer. Following that report, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office began surveillance of the property. On April 2, 2016 Sheriff Deputy Jesse Johnson saw two people in a van at the site. A search warrant was obtained and when the van was inspected, receipts were found from recycling centers for insulated wire, copper wire, and brass. Also found were hacksaws, headlamps and bolt cutters.

Vail and a companion, Alexander Gaiter Smith, 28, of St. Paul were arrested. A sentencing hearing for Vail will be held February 27. She could face up to 10 years incarceration and fines of up to $20,000.

Smith, who received similar charges, failed to appear at hearings in Cook County court in May, August and September 2016. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. If arrested, Smith will be held without chance of release on bail.

The former mining operation building has been shut down since 2001, but is monitored by Cleveland Cliffs staff.
A general manager for Cliffs Mining estimated the damage, which included areas where control panels were removed, wires stripped and walls graffitied. He estimated the damage to the property at “thousands of dollars.”