SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - Eight people face federal charges of
stealing merchandise from freight trains stopped in northern
Indiana.

According to a grand jury indictment, the men used a radio to
listen to train communications, then broke into stopped Norfolk
Southern or CSX train cars in the LaPorte area. The indictment says
they selected trains that were stopped or forced trains to make
emergency stops by removing pins between cars or disconnecting air
brakes.

The thefts occurred between April 2006 and last June. The
indictment says the merchandise included liquor, clothing,
televisions, cigarettes, computer equipment, lawnmowers and
diapers.

All eight have pleaded NOT guilty have have been released. They
include a former conductor for Norfolk Southern.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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