Member of Badger Meter cleaning crew admitted to stealing $30K+ in brass to support her heroin habit

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Prosecutors say a heroin addict admitted to stealing brass pieces from Badger Meter -- where she worked on the cleaning crew. She and her alleged accomplice are facing charges.

Kayleigh Dybul, 27 faces the following charges:


    Her co-defendant, Paul Lennart, 32, faces one count of theft of movable property, greater than $10,000, as party to a crime.

    According to a criminal complaint, on Jan. 22, police responded to Badger Meter on Washington Ave. near 90th St. in Mount Pleasant for a report of a theft. The director of manufacturing reported a "considerable shrinkage of product," to the point where orders weren't being filled on time and the company was suffering negative financial ramifications. Because of the thefts, cameras were installed at the facility on Jan. 19. Based on the video, the director of manufacturing said he believed Kayleigh Dybul, a member of the cleaning crew, was responsible.

    The complaint notes that Dybul began working at Badger Meter on Nov. 16, 2017 -- and the thefts began shortly thereafter.

    The surveillance video showed Dybul placing brass fittings and parts into a garbage cart on Jan. 19, and again on Jan. 22. The director of manufacturing said he conducted his own surveillance on Jan. 22 and observe Dybul take the garbage cart to an area near the dumpsters, and a red truck then pulled up next to the dumpsters. The truck's driver then placed the parts into the truck. The director of manufacturing followed the truck and reported the driver was a white man with lots of facial hair.

    An investigation revealed Dybul was acquainted with a man named Lennart -- who has facial hair and has been known to drive a red truck. Investigators learned Lennart had conducted approximately 30 transactions at a scrapyard in Milwaukee -- 23 involving the sale of brass between Dec. 13 and Jan. 23 -- with the weight of the sales beginning at 34 pounds, reaching 712 pounds on Jan. 19.

    Police conducted surveillance at Badger Meter on Jan. 23 -- and officers observed Dybul exit the building with multiple garbage carts, at which point garbage was placed in the dumpster. A red truck then showed up at the scene and the driver began loading boxes into the truck before leaving.

    Dybul was arrested, as was Lennart after the truck was stopped.

    The complaint says while investigators looked for Dybul's keys, they located a syringe and a suspected heroin kit -- including a tourniquet, a tin cup and several small baggies containing a chalk-like substance, which tested positive for the presence of heroin.

    Prosecutors say Dybul admitted she's a heroin addict, and she also admitted to stealing from Badger Meter to support her habit. She said she stole brass because she was aware of its value. As for Lennart, prosecutors say he believed he was only taking scraps, but several items removed form his truck were in plastic totes and packaged within boxes. He admitted to stealing brass taken from Badger Meter, and said he would sometimes buy Dybul heroin with the proceeds.

    The complaint notes that Badger Meter suffered a loss of $30,000, but that doesn't include the thefts from Jan. 19-Jan. 22.

    Dybul and Lennart made their initial appearances in court on Jan. 24. Cash bond was set at $250 each, and a preliminary hearing was set for Feb. 7 for both.