News and Success Stories

Tag Archives: Copper Wire

The hotel may be deserted, but the Police Department sure is active

“One of our patrol officers spotted a car backed into a deserted hotel on the outskirts of town. Upon investigation, the car was found to be a hotbed of stolen copper wire. Suspects had entered the hotel and begun stripping copper products from various sources, defacing most of the property in the process. I used LeadsOnline to search the tag off of the car, and I was able to find three crooks selling the copper pipes and wire to an area scrap yard. Interviews and fingerprints have led to the arrest of two suspects for the copper thefts, and there are two more arrests pending. We couldn’t have done it without LeadsOnline!”

Det. Brad Handley
Eureka Springs Police Department
Arkansas

LeadsOnline scrap metal reporting and investigations system is working in Ohio

“An electrical company in the city of Worthington, Ohio had two of their vans broken into. Tools as well as copper wire were taken. Within minutes of the case being assigned to a detective for follow up a suspect was identified using LeadsOnline. The owner of the business met with detectives at the pawn shop where the suspect sold the tools, and positively identified them as belonging to his company. This same suspect sold copper wire for scrap to a local scrap/salvage yard at the same time. There were NO leads in this case and without LeadsOnline their case would have been closed with no arrest made!”

Det. Keith Agin
Worthington Police Department
Ohio

Suspect caught selling stolen metal in multiple jurisdictions

“Using LeadsOnline, I discovered a suspect had been selling large amounts of copper. Blytheville PD was investigating a metal theft case involving copper and the suspect was connected. I made contact with the business owner and he advised me that the suspect was on his way with more of that ‘pretty copper!’ The suspect gave consent to search his vehicle and the truck was packed full of cut copper wire. Also in the back seat was a box containing copper sheets. The suspect was brought back to the Osceola PD and gave a taped confession. He was given a bond and is awaiting trial. Thank you LeadsOnline for such an outstanding database.”

Capt. Ollie Collins
Osceola Police Department
Arkansas

Police use LeadsOnline to identify suspect in out of jurisdiction metal theft case

“Detective William Skaggs received information from Captain Ollie Collins, using LeadsOnline, about a suspect scrapping a large amount of copper. Det. Skaggs then made contact with the business who told him the suspect was coming in multiple times in the past week with copper. It was known through our department that Blytheville, Police Department had a copper theft report that matched some of the property our suspect scrapped. We spoke with detectives from Blytheville and it was believed this could be connected. Shortly after leaving the scrap business, I received a phone call from the scrap business that our suspect just called and told them he was on his way with more ‘pretty copper!’ The car our suspect was driving was obviously loaded with something heavy by the way the back was squatting. The suspect gave me consent to search his vehicle, and we found the truck was packed full of cut copper wire and some type of copper sheets. It was discovered the copper wire was stolen in Blytheville. This case was ultimately turned over to the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Department for further investigation and prosecution, but without the assistance of LeadsOnline, the theft would have never been discovered.”

Sgt. Chris Ellis
Osceola Police Department
Arkansas

Houston police arrest suspects for scrapping large amounts of stolen copper wire

“I was called out to a scene by a patrol officer who had a large amount of wire stolen from a 30-acre yard that inventoried pipe and wiring. The wire was distinctive because it was encased in an orange, ribbed insulation. Within that insulation was a steel sheathing, then three large wires and one small wire inside. I followed the drag marks on the ground to a cut in the fenced in the perimeter. The scene also showed a roll of duct tape near the wooden spool that the wire was stolen from and pieces of raveled duct tape along the drag marks on the ground. I noted the address of the apartment complex just outside the cut fence and ran the address of the apartment complex through LeadsOnline. I found the suspect because he sold the exact material to a scrap yard and used an ID that had an address of that apartment complex. I was able to recover $6,000 worth of wire at the scrap yard and charge him for third degree aggregate theft for two thefts that occurred at the same location exactly one month apart. Without LeadsOnline there would not have been any leads in this case, and the thieves would have gotten away with over $66,000 worth of copper from the same complainant in a one month period.”

Sr. Ofc. Kyle Brauner
Houston Police Department
Texas

Using LeadsOnline, detective was able to recover $50,000 in utility property sold and up for auction on eBay

“We were investigating a half dozen burglaries to utility company substations where the suspects stole a large number of power tools and copper wire. Using LeadsOnline, we were able to locate a large number of the stolen items being sold on eBay. LeadsOnline helped us identify the suspects’ eBay accounts as well as complete an inventory of stolen items that had already been sold on eBay and ones that were still up for auction. With the assistance of LeadsOnline, we were able to arrest both subjects and they are now looking at multiple felonies; and we recovered almost $50,000 in utility property! Thanks LeadsOnline!”

Det. Chris Loudon
Lisle Police Department
Illinois

Employee who steals from his employer is caught with the help of LeadsOnline

“Last year, the Gwinnett Metal Theft Unit was reviewing photos from scrap sales the previous day. One transaction showed a sale of 729 lbs. of spooled copper wire. Further investigation showed six previous transactions for approximately the same amount. The employer of the person selling the copper was contacted and confirmed all the copper had been stolen from the company’s warehouse. The employee confessed to using the company truck to steal the copper. The company lost $20,000 but was able to recover approximately 500 lbs. of the copper. ”

Sgt. Ted Conlon
Gwinnett County Police Department
Georgia