Three people were recently indicted on charges of stealing copper piping from a residence in Greenwich Township, New Jersey.
Greenwich Township police and Paulsboro police received an alert about a burglary in process at a residence located on Thompson Avenue in Greenwich Township, NJ.
When police officers arrived at the scene, they reportedly saw the suspects leaving the home. The suspects were allegedly cutting copper piping out of the basement.
Two of the suspects hail from Westville NJ, while the third suspect lives in Woodlynne NJ.
Police officers allegedly found a list of homes in the suspects’ vehicle at the scene of the alleged theft. Police then notified other towns about potential burglaries.
According to police, the suspects admitted to committing another theft in Paulsboro, New Jersey.
After being placed under arrest and processed, the suspects were transported to the Salem County Jail. They were initially held at the facility in lieu of $25,000 bail amounts.
All three suspects were charged with theft by unlawful taking and criminal mischief.
Now the three suspects appear to be headed to trial after a Gloucester County NJ grand jury indicted them on the charges. The suspects were not indicted on charges of burglary.
If the suspects are ultimately convicted on the criminal mischief charges, they could face significant penalties. That’s because N.J.S.A. 2C:17-3 classifies criminal mischief as a third degree felony, fourth degree felony, or disorderly persons offense. Depending upon the circumstances, the suspects could potentially be sentenced to as many as 5 years in NJ State Prison.
For more information about this case, view the NJ.com article entitled “Trio Indicted on Greenwich Township Copper Pipe Theft Charges.”
