In January 2023, more than $300,000 dollars of copper was taken from a Union Pacific railyard in Brazos County. Out of eight men who were indicted in district court for engaging in organized criminal activity related to the copper theft, four have been convicted and four are still awaiting trials. The latest sentencing was last Friday (May 1). Online court records shows 32 year old Rafael Romero Jr. of Bryan reached a plea agreement with the district attorney’s office where a ten year sentence also covers pleas in separate cases of unlawful possession of a gun and possession of a controlled substance. In January, 27 year old Jeffrey Neblett Jr. of Bryan was sentenced to 25 years as part of a plea agreement where he also admitted to five felony and three misdemeanor crimes that took place between June of 2021 and June of 2023. Those convictions included armed robbery, family violence assault, burglary of a habitation, and four counts of illegal drug possession. Also pleading guilty for taking part in the copper theft, 28 year old Tela Williams of College Station was sentenced to 15 years and 27 year old Arnoldo Romero of Hempstead was sentenced to 40 years. All four still awaiting trials for organized criminal activity associated with the copper theft are out of jail on bond. Three of the four also have pending trials in unrelated cases. 36 year old Felipe Tello Jr. of Bryan has cases going back July of 2021. Three felony cases includes possessing controlled substances. Ten pending trials on misdemeanor charges includes three DWI’s and six cases involving driving without a license. Another man, 27 year old Sergio Bernal of College Station, is awaiting trials on three misdemeanor charges of driving with an invalid license and one misdemeanor charges of unlawful carrying of a weapon and possessing marijuana. Those cases involve incidents that took place in 2024, 2025, and in January and March of 2026. 31 year old Alejandro Nicholas Gonzalez of Bryan is awaiting trial in a separate case of possessing a controlled substance in February 2024. And awaiting trial for only the copper theft is 25 year old Evan Ross of Bryan.