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HAMMOND, Ind. – He asked, they told him no, but he did it anyway, authorities say, accusing a scrap-metal dealer of taking apart an abandoned railroad bridge and selling the metal for $18,000.

Court records show Kenneth Morrison of Whiting was indicted last month on a federal charge of interstate transportation of stolen property. Morrison was operating as T&K Metals in 2014 when he allegedly dismantled the shuttered Monon Bridge, built in 1909 over the Grand Calumet River in Hammond.

Court records show Morrison had asked city officials multiple times since 1991 for permission to purchase and dismantle the bridge, but his requests were denied. He defended his actions in a 2015 interview, saying his removal of the structure saved the city money.