Placerville Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Theft Conspiracy

Stephan James Evanovich, 46, of Placerville, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to transport stolen property and to interstate transportation of stolen property, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, Evanovich worked with co-conspirators Trevor Fountain, 38, of Sacramento; Jonathan Matthew Curl, 36, of Sacramento; and Andrea Carter, 35, formerly of Sacramento, to illegally enter communications towers and steal rectifiers and other communications equipment. Rectifiers are a power source necessary to maintain power at communications towers. Fountain, Carter, and Curl were responsible for stealing equipment and transferring it to Evanovich, who then paid them for the stolen equipment. Evanovich sold the stolen property to legitimate third-party vendors in California, Illinois, Colorado, and Texas. The conspirators stole, sold, and shipped more than 485 stolen rectifiers across state lines.

As part of the scheme, Evanovich instructed other conspirators to create invoices in the name of false businesses. These false invoices were used to make it appear as though Evanovich had obtained the stolen rectifiers from legitimate businesses.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from Weld County Sheriff's Office in Colorado. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Delaney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima are prosecuting the case.

Carter pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 5, 2025, to 29 months in prison. Fountain pleaded guilty on Sept. 25, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21, 2026. Curl pleaded guilty on Jan. 8, 2026, and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23, 2026.

Evanovich is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta on June 11, 2026. Evanovich faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Fountain and Curl face maximum statutory penalties of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.