Crime Scene: Cracking a string of copper thefts

CLARKSTOWN – How would anyone ever know if copper pipes had been stolen from large industrial air-conditioning units?

Seeing two men working on a rooftop might raise suspicions. Or what if a business' air conditioning just stopped working on a hot summer day?

Clarkstown police - faced with both scenarios - soon began putting together the pieces, ultimately charging twin brothers Kevin and Kenneth Hoyt with stealing copper piping from two different commercial A/C installations. Police estimate their work caused more than $200,000 worth of damage to several 20-ton air-conditioning units; they can't say for sure exactly how much copper had been taken.

The brothers now face multiple felony counts of second-degree mischief, misdemeanor possession of burglar's tools and trespass violations.

Their cases are just the latest in a string of copper piping thefts across the Lower Hudson Valley from older buildings — including abandoned ones. Dozens Metro-North trains were delayed in December after thieves stole copper cables from tracks in the Bronx.

The crimes

The Hoyts first came under scrutiny July 18 when two Clarkstown police officers spotted the brothers on the roof of the former Huffman Koos, 20 N. Middletown Road, near Route 59 in Nanuet, Clarkstown police Detective Brian Callanan said.

The vacant building was up for renovation and the brothers told the officers they were doing roofing work, Callanan said, noting the brothers did actually work for their family's roofing company.

The officers charged them with removing removing copper pipes and fins from the air-conditional units, causing an estimated $55,000 in damages, Callanan said.

Police got another call Aug. 28 from the Planet Fitness building, the former La-Z-Boy furniture store on Route 304, across from the Rockland Bakery. One tenant had complained about lacking air-conditioning, Callanan said.

"The A/C company checked the six, 20 ton-units and all the copper and metal have been stripped out of them," Callanan said.

The company estimated the damage at $155,000 and used a crane to make repairs, Callanan said. He recovered physical evidence and video footage.

A computer check for similar incidents brought up the earlier arrests of the Hoyts in July, he said.

"It seemed like the same scenario but I couldn't be sure when the second incident occurred," Callanan said.

Callanan said calls to scrap metal companies across the tri-state area revealed the popularity of selling copper and other metals for cash.

The copper's worth has topped $2.99 a pound, authorities have said.

"The price of copper is high at this point," the detective said. But, "For the amount of money they are getting, it's not much for the amount of damage they are doing."

The investigation

As Callanan reviewed evidence in the first case he found a photograph of the Hoyt brothers' car and the ladder and tools they allegedly used. He said he compared the photo with surveillance from the former La-Z-Boy building. He then tracked down dates when the Hoyts allegedly sold the copper to dealers in Rockland, Newburgh, Queens, and New Jersey.

He said he spoke with other detectives across the county. Their theory is that the brothers targeted large industrial units during the day believing no one would question work being done by the "roofers."

"We also realized people might not know this is happening," Callanan said. "If they are not using their air-conditioning, who is going to realize (the equipment is damaged)?"

Clarkstown officers have been working with counterparts in Ramapo and Stony Point to identify other cases in which the brothers may have been involved. The Rockland District Attorney's Office has also joined the case.

So far, no additional charges have been brought; the investigation is continuing.

Based on the number of occasions when the brothers sold copper for scrap, Callanan said he would not be surprised if the brothers had committed 20 to 30 similar jobs.

What's next

The Hoyt brothers remain in the county jail and are scheduled for a pretrial hearing May 12 before Judge Joseph Fisch, a former state Supreme Court justice. The brothers have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Twitter: @lohudlegal