St. Johns County

Pros explain why copper wire is so expensive following theft at Civil Air Patrol Composite Squadron

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — As we head into the summer, it’s only going to get hotter.

The commander at the Civil Air Patrol Composite Squadron says the building is now without air conditioning after someone stole 200 feet of copper wire two weeks ago.

RELATED STORY: Cadets without AC after materials stolen from Civil Air Patrol’s Composite Squadron in St. Augustine

First Lt. Nicole Graves can’t believe the building was targeted, and now, she has to run the cadet program with no AC.

“It isn’t anything we ever expected. We’ve been here for years serving our community. It kind of really felt like a stab in our gut,” she said.

Max Vernimo, a manager at Jax Scrap Metal Recycling, explains why demand for copper is so high. He says copper wire is expensive, and it’s vital to making everyday things we use function.

“It goes in the cell towers, our signs, it runs through our cars, pretty much in general everything,” he said.

Vernimo’s shop processes its fair share of copper wire. He and his team are always on the lookout for stolen materials.

“Anyone that comes in with copper wire has to have paperwork with them or they have to show that they work for an electrical company, stuff like that,” he added.

Right now, Vernimo says copper wire is worth a lot — about $2.50 a pound.

“It’s a lot harder than people think, scrapping nowadays,” he said.

Because copper wire is often stolen, Vernimo says if it comes into his shop looking brand new and wrapped, the seller must have paperwork to scrap it.

Depending on how much wire they bring in, sellers must also have a license, give their thumbprint, and share what company they work for.

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Vernimo says new construction, warehouses, and businesses are prime targets of theft. He says homeowners shouldn’t worry as much, as their air conditioning units don’t have all that much copper wire.

“Even if you stole an AC and broke it all down, you’d probably get only like 50 to 70 bucks,” he said.

Vernimo says JSO also drops in to the scrap yards periodically to check records for people suspected of having stolen materials and reselling them.

Click here to read about the cadet program and hear more from Lt. Graves.