Copper caper: Anaconda duo arrested for alleged theft of 400-pound anode, meth possession

ANACONDA — The December theft of the historic copper anode left many Anaconda residents sad and fuming.

There was mystery too.

The anode, a product of the copper smelting process, was said to weigh between 400 and 500 pounds. It had been displayed for years outside the Anaconda Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center on East Park Street. The anode was discovered missing Dec. 15, a Monday, by Ruth Moen, Chamber manager, and was believed stolen during the preceding days.

Investigators determined that a visitor center security camera facing the relevant direction was offline and surveillance cameras at nearby businesses did not afford a view of the theft.

The anode, with an estimated value of more than $1,500, was a tangible symbol of Anaconda’s long history of smelting copper ore mined in Butte and then transported for processing to Anaconda’s smelters.

On Feb. 20, Anaconda residents Paul Joseph Rader Jr. and Nikki Louise Lorello were charged with felony theft, felony criminal mischief, felony drug possession and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia in connection with the anode theft.

Court documents describe searches of the home shared by Lorello and Rader near Washoe Park that followed Jan. 16 tips from the Butte-Silver Bow Police Department that Rader was allegedly in possession of “a large amount of stolen copper.”

One tip came from Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff Ed Lester. He confirmed Monday that he had received a phone tip in January about the copper but declined to identify the caller.

Rader’s probation/parole status authorized the initial search of the Anaconda property. Lorello was in a vehicle at the scene, pulling into the driveway, and Rader was inside. Both were ordered to remain in those locations during the search, according to court records.

That search discovered copper pieces of various sizes and copper shavings, along with methamphetamine and meth paraphernalia, court records show.

Then, the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County police department obtained a warrant to continue searching the property.

Police found numerous copper pieces in the garage, including within a toolbox that had been welded shut, records show.

"Within the garage, officers located copper shavings on nearly all surfaces. Officers located pieces of copper in various sizes, ranging from thin shreds to pieces estimated to weigh 60 pounds," court documents report.

In addition, officers found copper pieces in a bedroom shared by the defendants and hidden behind rolls of toilet paper in a bathroom vanity.

Court records report police recovered a total of about 360 pounds of copper and that the metal pieces found were similar in appearance to the anode stolen from the Anaconda Chamber of Commerce.

Police also found a total of six bags of suspected meth, along with a meth pipe and a meth bong, records show.

Both defendants were arrested Jan. 16 and appeared before Justice Court Judge Ken Walund on Jan. 20. Rader posted a $50,000 bond on Feb. 10 and Lorello posted a $20,000 bond on Jan. 20.