Police nab 140 in huge copper theft sting

[XemaSab]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

San Jose and Santa Clara police have arrested more than 140 people in a massive copper theft sting after a year-long undercover investigation that also unveiled a bomb-making operation for cell phone-triggered explosives, police said today.

Seventy-four of those arrested were picked up Tuesday in a massive sweep that included Santa Clara, Alameda and Contra Costa counties, investigators said.

(snip)

Authorities in Santa Clara County, including the District Attorney's office and police departments in San Jose and Santa Clara, launched an elaborate sting about a year ago, setting up a recycling business front in Santa Clara called Jose Clara Co-op that was staffed by undercover police officers.

As authorities clamped down on other recyclers, pushing them to tighten their identification or other requirements for recycling, the police recycling front soon gained a reputation as a place that would take anything - no questions asked, San Jose police Sgt. Mike Sullivan said.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/23/BAO8UKEPF.DTL

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This is sort of an alarming story.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

1. Stupid Meth Tweakers

stealing metal to support their habits. Here in Oregon, tweakers recently cut down and stole a bronze statue of Sacagawea from the Lewis and Clark interpretive site at Fort Clatsop.

What a stupid drug.

[Bonobo]

2. In 3rd world nations, the poor dismantle anything they can get their hands on too. nt

[XemaSab]

6. Out in the Valley

they steal wiring from farm equipment. What the hell has to be going through people to think "Hey, let's go out to Farmer Joe's orchard and steal all the wiring for the automatic sprinkler controls?" :eyes:

You're right, meth is a stupid drug.

[truthisfreedom]

3. Nice one. They created a haven for lawbreakers who destroyed peoples homes all year while

they gathered their evidence. Imagine the enormity of the damage done to businesses and homes. Infathomable.

[DCKit]

4. Sounds like a huge entrapment operation targeting the desperately poor. n/t

[XemaSab]

7. Did you read the whole article?

They caught people with guns, bombs, and all kinds of shit.

[ticapnews]

5. The accomplice has been caught

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4qILIY--Gyw

The Copper Clapper Caper

The story you are about to see is true .Only the
names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Joe Friday: "This is the city. Los Angeles,
California. I work here... I'm a cop."

"It was Tuesday, February 9. It was raining in Los Angeles. We were working robbery.
Some people rob for pleasure. Some people rob because it's there. You never know.
I was working the day watch out of robbery when I got a call from the Acme School Bell Company."

Victim: "There's been a robbery."

Friday: "Yes sir! What was it?"

Victim: "My clappers!"

Friday: "Your clappers?"

Victim: "Yeah, you know those things inside a bell that makes them clang."

Friday: "The clangers?"

Victim: "That's right! We call them the clappers in the business."

Friday: "A clapper caper."

Victim: "What's that?"

Friday: "Nothing sir! Now can I have the facts? What kinds of clappers were stolen on this clapper caper?"

Victim: "They were copper clappers!"

Friday: "And where were they kept?"

Victim:" In the closet!"

Friday: "Uh huh, do you have any ideas who might have taken your copper clappers from the closet?"

Victim: "Well , I fired a man and he swore he'd get even!"

Friday: "What was his name?"

Victim: "Claude Cooper."

Friday: "You think it was him then?"

Victim: "That's right! I think Claude Cooper copped my copper Clapper kept in a closet."

Friday: "You know where this Claude Cooper is from?"

Victim: "Yep! Cleveland."

Friday: "That figures!"

Victim: "What makes it worse is that they were clean!"

Friday: "Clean copper clappers? Why do you think that Claude Cooper would cop your clean copper clappers kept in your closet?"

Victim: "Only one reason!"

Friday: "What's that?"

Victim: "He's a kleptomaniac."

Friday: "Who first discovered the copper clappers were copped?"

Victim: "My cleaning woman...Clara Clifford!"

Friday: "That figures! Now let me see if I got the facts straight here? Cleaning woman Clara Clifford discovered your clean copper clappers kept in a closet were copped by Claude Cooper a kleptomaniac from Cleveland. Now is that about it?"

Victim: "One more thing. If I ever catch kleptomaniac Claude Cooper from Cleveland who copped my clean copper clappers from the closet…."

Friday: "Yes?"

Victim: "I'll clobber him!"

Breaking news....Breaking news....

"We are reporting live from the county jail.

Claude Cooper the kleptomaniac from Cleveland has been arrested and charged with the copper clapper caper. He has been put in a cell."

Update:

Claude Cooper, the criminal from Cleveland, has been sentenced to six years for the copper clapper caper.



Remember....crime doesn't pay!

[east texas lib]

8. Well..

Out in this area we have several theft rings that specialize in air conditioning units,
high voltage electrical wiring, copper roofing and gutters ,etc. These guys are pros!
One of the preferred methods is to pull long wire runs out conduits that serve the
lamps on the freeways. We have long stretches of I-20 running through the southeast
Dallas area that are REAL dark.