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.
Photo via Brett Jordan/Unsplash
