Copper Thieves Strike In Hamblen Co.

Here’s another type of theft to watch out for now. The business Countertops & Cabinets, who has a warehouse on West Morris Blvd told police that last week, two male subjects, whom they identified as John Burnett & Josh Gilbert entered the warehouse and took appoximately 100 feet of copper line. Management with Countertops and Cabinets says that on video, John Burnett was able to make entrance to the warehouse by using a key he had somehow gotten hold of. They said Burnett was not supposed to be on the property. After stealing the copper wire, the men fled in a white 1996 white Dodge Ram singlecab truck.

Also a man named John McCrary told police that someone broke into a property he owns causing $800 in damages when they forced their way through a side door. More importantly though, the thieves stripped the breaker box in the home of the copper wire causing an additional $8000.00 worth of damages to the home. Detectives investigating say the thieves stripped the copper wires from the insulative coating leaving the coating behind. Detectives were able to lift a fingerprint off that coating. They have made no arrest yet in that case.