Posted on 06/22/2018 1:27:34 PM PDT by Gamecock
A man was killed early Thursday morning in east Oklahoma City after being electrocuted while attempting to steal copper wire from a light pole, according to KWTV. The spike in copper prices in recent years has driven well known black market for the metal.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported that over a three year period there were 28,000 claims for theft of industrial metals -- 98% of which was copper. The trend has been attributed to copper's ease of access, as it is often unguarded in industrial air conditioning units, open construction sites, abandoned properties and public power utilities.
The NICB added that while there was a reported decline in these claims following a decline in copper prices and a nationwide effort to enact laws to combat this black market, prices have climbed back up, and the U.S. Department of Energy still estimates copper thieves are netting over $1 billion annually.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, copper theft in Oklahoma is a felony for both thieves and recipients who knowingly purchase stolen materials, with one to five year prison sentences and $100 to $500 fines.
Research published in the American Economist noted that the impact of copper theft from public utilities can have massive impacts on the general public: in May 2015, the theft of 500 feet of copper disrupted rail service on a New York City train line serving 775,000 riders daily.
That’s a shame.
Crime’s a dangerous occupation... bye bye loser...
It’s an 0bama shovel ready job that most Americans don’t want to do.
I love a happy ending!
How much are my copper pennies worth today?
No one was more shocked than the thief.
He shoulda used the clappers the kleptomaniac kept in the closet.
Will his family sue for wrongful death?
For example, were there barriers to access the lightpole? Were there signs warning of high voltage? Were there security guards on the premises?
I know this sounds crazy, but the way lawsuits are filed nowadays, this would not surprise me.
Agree.
We should do away with prisons - they are monster factories.
20 strokes with a cane first offense for theft.
50 for second offense.
Hang them the third.
Sometimes Stupid is judge, jury and electrocutioner.
Sometimes Stupid is judge, jury and electrocutioner.
Justice served.
2.5 cents junk copper weight. Double you money.
You have a treasure trove of 60 yr old pennies?
Don’t hang...send them to the galley!
Row well and live...
Ramming speed!
Darwin award of the day winner.
Ha ha. No, But to update Ben Franklin. A penny saved is 2.5 pennys earned.
I know it sounds barbaric, but there is a lot of sense to it. One hour of intense pain, followed by weeks of healing as opposed to months/years locked away surrounded by the criminally inclined/monsters.
“How much are my copper pennies worth today?”
One pound of copper produces 145 pennies.
Copper is trading today at $3.68 per pound.
Therefore a copper penny is worth $0.025
Or about two and a half times its face value. Meaning you lose money every time you spend a penny.
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