A fifth person has been arrested after being accused of stealing more than 1,000 pounds of copper wiring and other metal materials from the former DMV site in Raleigh on New Bern Avenue.
Raleigh police arrested Kwantez Hagans, 28, on Monday.
The thefts occurred on Aug. 29 and Sept. 2, according to court documents.
An arrest warrant says Hagans worked at 4 Seasons Demolition Services at the time of the incident, where he was accused of stealing copper communication wiring with the intent to “steal and to defraud the defendant’s employer,”
Court documents show he obtained more than $800 from Foss Recycling under false pretenses “to deceive and did deceive.” Officials said the money was obtained after Hagans exchanged the same copper communication wires that he had stolen.
A Foss Recycling representative told WRAL News this week that the company follows all state regulations to prevent purchasing stolen materials, but did not comment on this case directly.
North Carolina law requires recycling centers to record all transactions, identify sellers, and document vehicles arriving at the facility, often with photographs, according to the Raleigh Police Department.
“Through these partnerships and reporting requirements, businesses have been educated on what to look for when individuals attempt to sell large quantities of copper wiring. These efforts have played a significant role in deterring copper thefts throughout the city,” said a department spokesperson.
WRAL News has reported on the soaring price of copper, which makes it a profitable target.
A social media post from Foss Recycling promotes “top dollar” for scrap copper amid the increased price.
The rising value of the material is leaving some in the construction industry bracing for more thefts on job sites.
“I’m sure they’ll get hit sooner or later. They tend to follow the price of copper,” said Charlie Wilson with C.T. Wilson Construction Company and a member of Carolinas Associated General Contractors. “The price of the copper itself is one thing, but usually what’s more expensive is the repairs to fix with the damage done to steal the copper.”
In May, the Raleigh City Council voted to award a $1.9 million contract to 4 Seasons Demolition for abatement and demolition of the old DMV site on New Bern Avenue to prepare the space for future development. A city spokesperson tells WRAL News that 4 Seasons has full responsibility for the site and retains ownership of the materials during demolition.
4 Seasons did not respond to WRAL’s request for comment.
The rising value of copper has security experts calling for boosted deterrence measures on job sites.
“We know that it’s easy for them to remove, as well as you don’t need many tools. It doesn’t take a lot of sophistication to remove copper from buildings and places like that. So that I think makes it a very soft target and easy for thieves to go after,” said the CEO of local security company Guardiex, Jeffery Tanksley.
Hagans is being held on a $50,000 bond and is expected back in court at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
Quavon Gilmore was arrested in December and faced charges connected to the thefts. Elijah Walker, Michael Moore and Willie Jacobs III also face charges connected to the thefts.