A suspect has been tracked down in the theft of copper wire from a Duke Energy tower facility in Ocala.
A roll of about 50 feet of copper wire was reported stolen in February from a Duke Energy tower facility located at 3333 Northwest County Road 326, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
The thief left behind the empty wooden spool as well as a pair of bolt cutters.
A similar type of copper wire had been sold as scrap at Trademark Metals Recycling in Ocala for $232 by 37-year-old Michael Shawn Sullivan of Fort McCoy.
He was arrested Thursday on charges of burglary, grand theft, dealing in stolen property and fraud. He was booked at the Marion County Jail.
Duke Energy warns that “copper theft carries very dangerous consequences, including serious personal injury, death, explosions, fires and electric outages. Copper theft also puts utility crews and other customers at risk.”