CHARLOTTE — Three people disguised as AT&T workers stole $10,000 of copper wire from telephone poles in northwest Charlotte.
The alleged thieves were stealing from telephone poles on North Hoskins and Mitchell Streets, according to court documents.
But police said the thieves didn’t have to sneak around. They wore an elaborate disguise consisting of hard hats and fluorescent safety vests, blending in dressed as AT&T workers.
Police located the suspects as they were trying to melt the copper down using GPS on the wire.
AT&T crews were on Mitchell Street most of Monday, working to replace what was allegedly stolen.
Neighbors told Channel 9’s Hunter Sáenz that they were completely surprised to hear about the thefts.
“I thought they were regular AT&T guys,” one neighbor said.
Police said the suspects were using a barbecue smoker to melt down 30 pounds of copper wiring.
Some of the suspects admitted to the crime, officials said.
Police executed a search warrant and said they found tree trimmers and a voltage meter that they believed the suspects used.
Officials told Sáenz that this is a ongoing problem. AT&T said it is phasing out copper lines.