A 32-year-old Maryland man was arrested last month for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of steel from a company he contracts with in Potomac Yard.
On June 6, Management of a construction lot located in the 2700 block of Potomac Avenue was alerted of the theft of between $10,800 and $21,600 worth of H-pile beams, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.
Staff reported that a stack of H-piles appeared to be smaller than it had been the previous day, and that a “piece of construction apparatus that could have been used to load H-piles” was parked nearby, according to the search warrant affidavit.
“The lot is secured by a combination lock, although most employees know the combination,” police said in the search warrant affidavit. “In total, 20-40 beams costing $540 apiece were missing.”
The investigation into the theft turned internal, and an operator at the site was identified as a suspect. Police found that the employee was driving on a suspended license and was previously charged a number of times with driving with fictitious tags.
Police confirmed that the suspect sold $332 in steel to a metalworks shop in Springfield. Video surveillance showed the suspect driving into the Springfield lot in his gray Ford truck, which was attached to a trailer that contained several H-beams, according to the search warrant affidavit.
The suspect was arrested on June 21 and charged with grand larceny and fugitive charges. He was transferred out of state on June 26.
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