It must have been tedious work to cut about 100 pieces of copper-clad wring from some power poles.
The work might have paid off if it weren’t for the tough laws in place concerning business practices of metal dealers and Duke Energy knowing specific information about their wiring.
The power company reported on Nov. 5 a larceny that occurred at their power site at 251 Tick Bite Road, Grifton.
A Duke Energy representative reported the suspect(s) had cut through a fence and lock using bolt cutters and then cut the copper pieces from the poles. The value of the copper was estimated at about $15,000.
State law requires recyclers to document what is sold to them and identify the person selling the material.
Armed with information from a local metal dealer who had purchased a large amount of copper wiring, Detective Josh Dunham of the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Detectives Division was able to compare the wiring and identify some suspects.
James Ronald Hewitt, of 2109 Dogwood Lane, was arrested and cooperated with detectives as to his involvement in the incident.
He was charged with felony obtaining property by false pretense, felony injuring utility wiring fixtures, trespassing, damage to personal property and transporting/possession of copper wiring over 25 pounds.
Hewitt was placed under an $18,000 secured bond and confined in the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Detention Center.
“Duke Energy was able to provide expert information that allowed us to positively identify the clad wiring as that stolen from Grifton,” Lenoir County Sheriff Chris Hill said in a statement. “Without this information, we would have never been able to positively identify a suspect. With that knowledge of the wiring in our favor, Det. Dunham identified the suspect and with the suspects cooperation, gained a confession to the crime.”
The case is still under investigation for additional arrests pending.