Even after The Recession and the easing of commodity prices, copper theft continues to rise across the US. The stolen copper is valuable as scrap because the metal is used for many items such as fiber optics to plumbing to anything electrical.  The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that two Poughkeepsie men were arrested and charged with charged with second-degree grand larceny, a class C felony, and fourth-degree conspiracy, a class E felony. after they allegedly stole copper piping from a job site and sold it to a local scrap yard.

Police arrested 42 year-old Clark P. Kozlek and 32 year-old Erik Jensen. Both men were both arraigned by Town of Hyde Park Court and remanded to Dutchess County Jail without bail. Homeowners in Rhinebeck had notified police in March that copper drip edge and roof sheeting had been removed from their house. After an investigation, NY State police found that the men had stolen the materials and sold the material to a scrap yard. Police say that the cost to repair the roof is over $130,000.

They are expected to answer the charges in court on Thursday.

 

 

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