HOUGHTON COUNTY, Mich. (WZMQ) – Three Houghton County men are facing charges for a string of break-ins and thefts that targeted local contractors and other citizens.
The Houghton County Sheriff’s Office says between August 2024 and October 2024, the three men took tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment, tools, and other items.
Erick Grandchamp, 42, of Calumet, is charged with one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, a 20-year felony. James Kilpela, 37, of Atlantic Mine, is also charged with one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, a 20-year felony. Jim Statler, 34, of Houghton, is charged with two counts of receiving and concealing stolen property and two counts of felony habitual offender.
The Houghton County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate, along with the Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Office, Michigan State Police, and Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET).
Anyone with additional information should contact the Houghton County Sheriff’s Office or Michigan State Police- Calumet Post.