[ChickenCityRoller]

Thieves Taking Scrap Metal
Metal products company co-owner claims county attorney’s father is one of the thieves

Jason Miller
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - Geoff Wendt is tired of getting shorted when it comes time to sell the scrap steel left behind his metal shop on Indiana 212 in Michigan City.

But it's not the companies he sells the scrap to that are causing his angst. It's the people he says are stealing the carbon steel pieces from large Dumpsters behind his factory.

"They just don't stop," the Midwest Metal Products co-owner said as he stood outside a large Dumpster loaded with pieces of carbon steel angle iron. "They do it to everyone around here. It's just a huge problem."

Wendt said cubic tons of scrap steel are being pilfered from the bins on at least a weekly basis, costing him thousands when it comes time to sell the expensive metal to steel mills or other companies that buy it.

Currently, he said, carbon steel scrap is bringing in paydays of between $250 and $300 per gross ton, which equals about 2,200 pounds.

Wendt's company fabricates rings of differing sizes out of aluminum, carbon steel and stainless steel. The rings are used as couplers for ductwork. The stainless and aluminum - more expensive than carbon steel - are kept in bins inside the plant.

"There's no room inside for the carbon," Wendt said.

Wendt has caught several people stealing scrap in the past two years, including a family, of whom he has pictures outside the bin and with scrap in their possession.

The man in that family, Rickie Rootes, was arrested July 6 and charged with theft, according to Michigan City Police Det. Tom Howe. Wendt also claims Sanford Friedman, a Michiana Shores resident and the father of La Porte County Attorney Shaw Friedman, stole several hundred pounds of steel in the past year for artistic endeavors.

Wendt says his rings have a unique marking that prove they were made by his company. A Midwest Metal Products employee said he found the steel in Friedman's driveway.

The News-Dispatch also saw several pieces of scrap in Friedman's driveway.

Howe said police are still investigating the Friedman case, but Friedman's attorney, Michael Katz of the Highland, Ind., firm Goodman, Katz & Scheele, said Friedman was out of the state when the alleged theft occurred.

Katz also contends Wendt's claims are nothing more than an attempt to smear Shaw Friedman because he is representing La Porte County in a lawsuit brought against it by the Wendt family.

"This matter is nothing more than what has obviously become a personal vendetta by members of the Wendt family against our client, Sanford Friedman, and his son," Katz said in an e-mail to The News-Dispatch. "Mr. Friedman is a well-respected, now retired, businessman who is an architect by training before spending 30 years as a retailer. He is now well-known for using scrap metal and iron for various artwork, many pieces of which have been donated to various charities.

"Mr. Friedman is adamant that long before Mr. Wendt Sr. was embroiled in his current litigation with La Porte County, he very amicably told our client at a World Presidents' Organization function in Chicago that he was welcome to any scrap iron he might be able to use in his artwork."

Wendt couldn't be reached after Katz responded to the allegations.

Other metal shop owners whose businesses sit along Indiana 212 also have complained about scrap thieves, including Todd Weist, president and general manager of nearby Peters & Marske.

Weist said with scrap prices climbing, the thefts are hurting his bottom line.

"We have had an ongoing problem with people stealing from our scrap Dumpsters, as well as items from our fenced-in yard. It has been more frequent in the last few years as scrap prices have climbed," he said. "We have had items that would take two to three men to lift out of our Dumpster to load in their truck. We have also had parts that we were going to use in manufacturing of products taken. Usually, this happens during the nighttime hours."

Both Wendt and Weist have taken measures to stop the thefts, like placing "no trespassing" signs around scrap bins, but nothing seems to work.

"We just can't stop them and it's getting ridiculous," Wendt said. "We've got to stop it."

[JHeath]

Am I the only person here who believes this is a personal issue that stems back to the Wendt family's lawsuit against the County regarding their taxes? Or maybe a personal distaste for Shaw? I know Sandy Friedman, and have a hard time believing that he would intentionally go and "steal" (scrap metal or anything else) from anyone.

Also, why was the unnamed Midwest Metals employee sent to Sandy's home? Were they told to go there, specifically seeking the supposedly stolen items?

Come on...someone else has to have an opinion on this one.

[Ang]

I don't know much about the history between these people but I have to say that accusing someone of theft is a serious allegation and I just hope that Mr. Wendt has his ducks in a row. This could seriously backfire in his face and end up in a liable suit--especially since the accused's son is an attorney.

[ChickenCityRoller]

Am I the only person here who believes this is a personal issue that stems back to the Wendt family's lawsuit against the County regarding their taxes? Or maybe a personal distaste for Shaw? I know Sandy Friedman, and have a hard time believing that he would intentionally go and "steal" (scrap metal or anything else) from anyone.

Also, why was the unnamed Midwest Metals employee sent to Sandy's home? Were they told to go there, specifically seeking the supposedly stolen items?

Come on...someone else has to have an opinion on this one.

Yeah, I have an opinion on it. This has NOTHING to do with the lawsuit going on between the Wendt's and the county. Sandy Friedman is guilty of stealing this stuff. The fact that Sandy (Shaw) is trying to put a spin on this is both immature and unrelated to the litigation. The spin is a nice touch though on a coincidence of occurrences. If he wasn't so guilty then he wouldn't have had Jerry Winski call me last Monday trying to smooth things over.
Sandy has a history of "dumpster diving." He did this to both Jet Fab and to Peters and Marske. The media and the police are now aware of this. Actually, he had the police called on him this summer after the owner of Jet Fab caught him in his dumpster for the second time in the same day! This will all come out pretty soon to the general public.
I give scrap away to different people and different organizations such as the Boy Scouts and the Hesston Steam Yard. They call me, they tell me what they're looking for and then they come on through. We have them drive their car or truck in the building and we load them up. We NEVER tell people to just go jump in the dumpster. That's absurd! Why would we want our friends jumping in the dumpster or ever worse risk hurting themselves? Especially an 80 year old man.
Here are the pictures of Sandy's backyard that the News Dispatch didn't show you. In regards to the article, which one is it Sandy, were you on vacation or did you have permission to do this? He's just trying to cover his rear on all bases but as I stated, the truth will come out.
Geoff Wendt

[ChickenCityRoller]

I don't know much about the history between these people but I have to say that accusing someone of theft is a serious allegation and I just hope that Mr. Wendt has his ducks in a row. This could seriously backfire in his face and end up in a liable suit--especially since the accused's son is an attorney.

two different things in anycase. I am the one who's accused Sandford Friedman of theft. My Dad is the one who is in litigation with the county. Apples and oranges which don't and shouldn't be cross pollinating.

[ChickenCityRoller]

I hate to say it but doesn't that back yard look kind of like Sanford and Son?

[JHeath]

I hate to say it but doesn't that back yard look kind of like Sanford and Son?

No, it looks like an outdoor art studio to me.

No matter what is actually going on here, none of the stories seem to add up the right way. It's not for us to decide in this forum, and way it was posted was not necessary, was it? This is about Sandy...not Shaw.

Sandy Friedman is guilty of stealing this stuff. The fact that Sandy (Shaw) is trying to put a spin on this is both immature and unrelated to the litigation. The spin is a nice touch though on a coincidence of occurrences. If he wasn't so guilty then he wouldn't have had Jerry Winski call me last Monday trying to smooth things over.

Jerry and Sandy have been friends for many years, so it's not surprising that Jerry would offer to step in to, as you say, "smooth things over." But if it's not related on some level, why continue to bring Shaw into all of it?

btw, who took the pictures, and did they have the Friedmans' permission to be on their property at the time the photos were taken?

[ChickenCityRoller]

The paper and the poster here mentioned Shaw. And to me, that yard does look like a mess. I guess what I call rejected product one could call "Art." As a matter of fact, there is some "Art" in front of the Michiana Fire Deaprtment with my rings on it. It'll be interesting to find what other "Art" out in the field has my illegally procurred product on it.
For the record, I took the photos with a 70-200mm zoom lens from the Street while a police officer was present.

[JHeath]

Roller, I can see that this is a very personal issue to you, and I do understand your reasoning.
Stealing is wrong, no matter who you are or where you are from--I think it's safe to say that we can all agree on that point.

I don't agree with the way you posted it highlighting the younger Mr. Friedman, though, as he was not the one supposedly committing these acts....or am I missing something here? He may be trying to help clear his father's name (and who wouldn't?), but he doesn't seem to have any other involvement.

[ChickenCityRoller]

Roller, I can see that this is a very personal issue to you, and I do understand your reasoning.
Stealing is wrong, no matter who you are or where you are from--I think it's safe to say that we can all agree on that point.

I don't agree with the way you posted it highlighting the younger Mr. Friedman, though, as he was not the one supposedly committing these acts....or am I missing something here? He may be trying to help clear his father's name (and who wouldn't?), but he doesn't seem to have any other involvement.

I appreciate that you can appreciate my viewpoint.
If you saw the article, there was a bold sentence stating that The County's Attorney's Father. I didn't bring this to light with the police or the press. They figured this out on thier own. I'm guessing this is why the article about scrap theft got a front page release. The press must have found this interesting.
Somebody in the Friedman's camp is trying to draw a correlation between Mr. Friedman taking our scrap and the lawsuit which my father is currently involved in. As I stated earlier, I wish none of that had been mentioned because it's a moot issue. The outcome of one will not affect the outcome of the other. I didn't post anything that the paper hadn't already. I did post pics of Sandy's back yard which would have been a better pic for the article, not one of me staring in my dumpster.
In any case, this will be handled by the police (or it should be) the same any other theft case would be handled. I tried to get the News Dispatch to write and article this summer about the huge problem of scrap theft. I suppose the article which was in the South Bend Tribune a couple weeks back and the "high profile" of this crime merited a write up by the N.D.

[JHeath]

For the record, I still don't believe that Sandy would do anything with a malicious intent...including collecting scrap metal for his artistic ventures.

[Ang]

Well, Chicken City, I guess we all know who you are now.

My opinion of the pictures you posted are this:

There is this old guy out there who likes to sculpt in his yard with metal scraps. He's probably living on social security so he can't really afford to buy a lot of materials. He figures he'll go out dumpster diving to collect someone's trash (one man's trash is another man's treasure, you know). He figures they threw it away, so what difference is it if he takes it or the City's finest sanitation engineers take it. Either way, someone threw it out so it's fair game.

Now, I know that doesn't justify CCR's anger and frustration about having this scrap stolen, but it WAS in a dumpster of some sort, wasn't it? Was the dumpster marked at all? Any kind of warning stating that the metal inside belonged to the company? Thieves will be prosecuted? Anything like that at all?

If not, CCR, may I suggest you mark your dumpster? Put a sticker on it that says contents are your property and theft will be prosecuted. You could even say there is a recording device nearby and thieves WILL be caught. Tell your friends at the other companies to do the same.

I'm not trying to justify the senior Friedman's actions. I'm just offering a possible explanation of what was going through his mind. I could be way off on that one but, by the looks of his property, I don't think he's taking the stuff to turn in for recycling money. I think he thinks what he's doing is harmless.

Oh, and one other thing CCR, I guessed you were a woman. I have no idea why I thought that, but since you first started posting I've thought you were female. I must say, I am surprised to learn you're male. No offense intended.

[JHeath]

Somebody in the Friedman's camp is trying to draw a correlation between Mr. Friedman taking our scrap and the lawsuit which my father is currently involved in. As I stated earlier, I wish none of that had been mentioned because it's a moot issue. The outcome of one will not affect the outcome of the other.

I am not in the Friedman's "camp". Sorry to have to throw that theory out the window for you. I do know both of them, and many of their family members. But I wouldn't say I'm in their "camp".

[ChickenCityRoller]

For the record, I still don't believe that Sandy would do anything with a malicious intent...including collecting scrap metal for his artistic ventures.

For the record, Sanford Z Friedman has a history of doing this. The owner of Jet Fab caught him twice in the same day and both times he was told NOT to go in the dumpster. He was also told by use a couple times years ago not to do this. verbatum: "if you need a little, we'll give it to you, if you need a lot, we'll sell it to you but DO NOT help yourself in our dumpster."

[ChickenCityRoller]

I am not in the Friedman's "camp". Sorry to have to throw that theory out the window for you. I do know both of them, and many of their family members. But I wouldn't say I'm in their "camp".

I wasn't insinuating that you are in thier "camp" but that someone DID decide to draw a correlation between the two different issues.

[ChickenCityRoller]

Well, Chicken City, I guess we all know who you are now.

My opinion of the pictures you posted are this:

There is this old guy out there who likes to sculpt in his yard with metal scraps. He's probably living on social security so he can't really afford to buy a lot of materials. He figures he'll go out dumpster diving to collect someone's trash (one man's trash is another man's treasure, you know). He figures they threw it away, so what difference is it if he takes it or the City's finest sanitation engineers take it. Either way, someone threw it out so it's fair game.


Yes he is old. Yes he likes to tinker with metal. No he's not living off S.S. Yes he can afford to buy raw material. He owns a shopping mall and a very nice house on Lake Shore Drive. No, it's not garbage just because it's in a dumpster. It's actually a form of income which helps us pay wages for some of the few manufacturing jobs left in the city.

Now, I know that doesn't justify CCR's anger and frustration about having this scrap stolen, but it WAS in a dumpster of some sort, wasn't it? Was the dumpster marked at all? Any kind of warning stating that the metal inside belonged to the company? Thieves will be prosecuted? Anything like that at all?

This dumpster is a 30 yard scrap hopper which hold about 20,000lbs of scrap and gets picked up twice a week. There are signs at the entry to our drive, around the hopper and on the hopper saying STAY OUT, NO TRESPASSING, ETC. ETC.

If not, CCR, may I suggest you mark your dumpster? Put a sticker on it that says contents are your property and theft will be prosecuted. You could even say there is a recording device nearby and thieves WILL be caught. Tell your friends at the other companies to do the same.


We all have signs like this. As you've probably heard elsewhere, scrap theft is a huge problem. Man hole covers are gettin swiped, copper wire and pipe from construction sites, funeral urns from cemetarys, etc. etc. I sell my scrap now for more than what I bought raw material just three years ago. Essentially our only export to China right now is scrap metal and raw material such as Iron Ore and Coke.

I'm not trying to justify the senior Friedman's actions. I'm just offering a possible explanation of what was going through his mind. I could be way off on that one but, by the looks of his property, I don't think he's taking the stuff to turn in for recycling money. I think he thinks what he's doing is harmless.

If you had money or valuables stolen from you, I guarantee you wouldn't think it's harmless.

Oh, and one other thing CCR, I guessed you were a woman. I have no idea why I thought that, but since you first started posting I've thought you were female. I must say, I am surprised to learn you're male. No offense intended.

I'm a man!

[Ang]

No, I don't think it's harmless when someone steals from me. But, people who dumpster dive don't think about that. They think, "Someone threw it out so they don't want it anymore so I can have it."

I undertand your point, and I'm not against you. I've been reading a lot about the scrap theft problem. Most of the people who steal it, do so for the money. Most likely to buy drugs. In Mr. Friedman's case, he does it to make art, not money. That is no less wrong that the guy who wants drugs, but a small mind will use that as an excuse to justify the behavior.

What ever happens with this, I hope you get restitution and Mr. Friedman stops dumpster diving. Maybe he's going senile, has alzheimer's and can't remember what he's been told. Dementia or something.

Anyway, good luck with it.

[ChickenCityRoller]

Thanks Ang,

Whatever spin might be put on this story, the crux of the biscuit is that this is in no means a personal vendetta on my part. I'll go after each and anyone I can catch who steals from our dumpster regardless of what the circumstances are or who they might be. I have a couple going through the courts right now who I caught at Paul's Scrap Yard over in Westville. They had been going in my dumpster taking pieces of scrap and selling it fro about 1/2 of what it's worth to various scrap yards. The day I happened to catch them, they had 4000+ lbs of straight pieces which were "drops" from a job we did for the new Lucas Oil Dome (Hoosier Dome). As we all know, the wheels of justice sometimes move slowly but there are court dates scheduled for later this month and then sentencing is going to happen sometime in December. To me, it seemed obvious (police confirmed) that they are drug addicts. This was a sad one. I caught them at the yard with thier young kids. The guy had a tatoo covering his entire calf which was still healing. It had to be a 400 dollar tatoo. The kids didn't even have shoes on thier feet! Disgusting!
Although they were selling the scrap for money and Sanford is making "Art," the crime is the same. They trespassed and stole private property.

[JHeath]

I have relatives who operate a substantial steel business in West Lafayette, and my family operated a legitimate scrap metal business in MC for a number of years. That being said, I understand where you're coming from. There is a LOT of money in scrap.

I've also kept up on the stories of scrap metal thefts that have been occurring for over than the last year, and have watched it get progressively worse. I would imagine that most of the people doing this are just trying to find ways to survive, trying to afford to put gas in their vehicles and food on their tables.

But why not make lemons out of lemonade here? He creates art sculptures from scrap metal, you have scrap pieces from your products...why not donate some of your scrap to him with the restriction that the art he creates from your pieces has to be donated, then put your name out there in a positive way as well? I mean, if it has your company's name imprinted on the pieces...why not allow an artist (not necessarily Sandy) to create something to get the Midwest Metals name out there in a different way?

[Ang]

Jenny might be on to something here. I can think of lots of places in town that could use a little "sculpture" in front of their business. high profile places that people would see. Places where they can walk up to it and admire the art. The Library (if it doesn't get moved) Oh, and City Hall would be an excellent place. , any of the schools, the park at Ames Field, Washington Park, and Fedder's alley park just to name a few.

Jenny, CCR did say that Mr. Friedman has been told he can have some of the scrap, but not to dumpster dive anymore-not only because it's theft, but it's also dangerous.