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Two Charged With Illegal Copper Purchases
March 27, 2011
Two Escambia County, Alabama, men are free on bond after allegedly making illegal copper purchases at an Atmore area business.
Johnny Shell, the owner of Shell Salvage, and an employee, Willie James Hudson, Sr., were both arrested last week after undercover deputies sold copper to the scrapyard.
Shell was charged with a felony count of receiving stolen property for allegedly purchased over $500 worth of materials illegally. Hudson was charged with not following state mandated rules that require proper identification from everyone selling copper. Undercover Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Department deputies allegedly sold 21 pounds of copper at the business for $47.25 without Hudson asking for ID.
Sheriff’s Investigator Bruce Shue said the business had been warned several times to follow the letter of the law when purchasing copper and other materials.
Comments
13 Responses to “Two Charged With Illegal Copper Purchases”
I say good police work , if the druggies can’t sell the stuff then they won’t steal it. Attack this drug problem from all angles. I don’t feel sorry for the junk yard people who got busted , they are in the business they should know the rules that pertain to their business.
So, I’m riding down the road and I see trucks and trailers carrying scrap materials to and fro. Wonder where the scrap comes from? Wonder why abandoned houses are looking kinda “airy”? Wonder what these scrappers are doing with the money? Wonder why no one asks questions?
Stuff like this fuels the drug trade. Stuff like this hits us all in the pocket book. Stuff like this is stealing, dishonest, and down right shameful. Now, I realize many are legit, but if you can load up some stolen stuff and sell it with no id and no questions asked for cash money… that’s a problem.
>>>Why not educate and help the local businesses instead?
from the story “Sheriff’s Investigator Bruce Shue said the business had been warned several times to follow the letter of the law when purchasing copper and other materials.”
RE: Bravo Sheriff Grover Smith and entire department.
If the copper is stolen bust the people stealing the copper and not those that buy it. You could easily get copper by legal means and sell it to a scrap yard. Small time scrap yard businesses probably aren’t even aware of these rules
Why not educate and help the local businesses instead?
OK—20# OF COPPER FOR $40 DOLLARS. WE HAD A FRIEND WHO WAS HIRED TO REDO AND OLD HOME AND IT HAD COPPER DOWN SPOUTS AND GUTTERS. WHILE THEY WERE STORED IN A GARAGE THEY WERE STOLEN AND SOLD FOR $ 100. THE PERSON WHO STOLE THEM FLATEN THEM AND AT RECOVERY THEY WERE NO LONGER USEABLE. THE VALUE OF THE COPPER GUTTERS AND ALL WAS OVER $ 3,000.WHEN USEABLE THE ONLY WAY TO TRY TO SLOW THE THEFT OF COPPER IS TO KEEP DEALERS HONEST. IF THE PERSON DOING THE THEFT CAN’T SELL IT THEY MAYBE WILL NOT STEAL IT. I RECALL A COUPLE IN PENSACOLA WERE ARREST FOR STEALING A LARGE NUMBER OF BRONZE VASES FROM GRAVES IN PENSACOLA AND BREAKING THEM UP TO SELL. THEY WERE REPORTED BY AN HONEST DEALER. THE SELL PRICE WAS FAR BELOW THE REPLACEMENT COST
if the police do their job, shame on them if the dont ,shame on them… next time you need to call 911 call a crackhead instead. see whee that gets ya.
Some of you just don’t get it. The cops should enforce these laws at the scrapyard. If they are buying illegal copper, it’s copper stolen from air conditioners costing business, residents or churches thousands of dollars to replace. It’s copper wire stolen from the power substation that made your lights go out for hours, copper from a cell phone tower that left your poor phone without service for days and kept someone from calling 911, copper stolen…you get the idea? And it all funds drug use.
Bravo Sheriff Grover Smith and entire department.
I hope the cops are proud of them selves. As we can see they are focusing on the main priorities and the actual big criminals.
Meanwhile…the thieves…stealing everyday…are still loose…probably stealing as we read this..go get the thugs guys…whats wrong…I understand about buying stolen stuff…..BAIT THE TRAP AND YOU WILL CATCH THEM..wow real men arent they..I say fine them hard…real hard…but get to the ROOT of the matter…the thieves…you cant make chicken salad out of chicken poop….
So by this logic a “small” crime is okay? Receiving stolen property is still illegal, be it copper, firearms, gold, whatever. Go work with Escambia, AL deputies and see if they are too scared to do undercover drug work. I commend LEO for doing their job and trying to prevent “small” crimes from leading to bigger ones.
Yes. This was a small transaction, but making it hard to sell illegally obtained (stolen) “scrap” is a good thing. It’s about time to go after the merchants who encourage theft and sale. They are dealing in stolen property too and wilful blindness shouldn’t be tolerated.
I agree with Jay. Lets put these men in Prison for trying to make a living. Under cover scrap sselling. Geez give me a break!! To scared to be undercover in the Drug world.
seriously?cmon.theres plenty of other things the law needs to be workin on busting than a measly 40 dollar copper garbage.spend our money a lil more wisely.like on meth or crack.