Hill charged in copper theft from Caney Fork

With his juvenile partner in crime buying a dog for his girlfriend with his share of the money, a local man faces several years in prison for his part in the copper heist at Caney Fork Electric.

The defendant, James Paul Hill, was bound over to the grand jury Tuesday by Judge Larry Ross on charges of theft over $500 and vandalism. His teenage partner in crime, whose name has not been released by police, will face similar charges in Juvenile Court.

Hill was bound to the grand jury after investigators fingered him and his younger accomplice as the pair who broke into Caney Fork Electric recently. Sheriff?s Investigator Jackie Matheny Jr. said someone cut the fence in the rear of the business and then removed several hundred dollars worth of scrap copper and aluminum.

According to Matheny, copper thefts have soared as the price of the commodity went up over the past year, commanding $2.60 a pound for scrap copper at most metal yards. Lawmen believe the men became aware of where scrap copper was being kept in dumpsters behind Caney Fork and decided to sneak in and remove some of the copper to resell.

Matheny said it was the problem of copper thefts which brought him to SouthCentral Iron and Metal where records are kept about who sells large volumes of the scrap metal. Matheny said Hill was one of those who had made a major sale for $982 in used copper and aluminum to the local collection business, the same day as the Caney Fork break-in.

Matheny said he found Hill already in jail on other charges in Coffee County. During questioning, Matheny said Hill admitted his involvement in the heist, noting he was the get-away driver and person who sold the stolen metal.

Hill then implicated his young accomplice, noting the boy bought a dog for his girlfriend from the pet store with his share of $982 made by selling the stolen metal.