Crime & Safety
Copper Wiring Theft at Milwaukee Electric Tool Leads to Burglary Charges
Four Milwaukee men were charged after one allegedly was caught trying to sell a large amount of copper wire to a Wauwatosa business.
Four Milwaukee men allegedly broke into a Brookfield business and stole copper wiring and tools, criminal charges allege.
All four were charged with one count of felony burglary in Waukesha County Circuit Court Tuesday: Robert T. Boulton, 24; Haakim A. Muhammad, 24; Donavin M. Roundtree, 17; and Gene A. Thomas, 53. If convicted, the maximum penalty is 12 ½ years in prison and $25,000 in fines.
According to the criminal complaint:
Find out what's happening in Brookfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Between Sept. 9 and Sept. 12, the men broke into Milwaukee Electric Tool, 12905 W. Lisbon Rd., and stole hundreds of feet in copper wiring along with three Sawzalls valued at $150 each, a portable saw valued at $250 and a electric grinder valued at $75.
Police found broken glass, a wire cutter and blood at the scene and swabbed the blood for a DNA analysis.
Find out what's happening in Brookfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
At 1:48 a.m. Sept. 12, a police officer on patrol spotted two vans travelling near North 124th Street and West Capitol Drive. The driver of one of the vans wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, the exhaust was missing and there was copper wiring hanging out of the back of the van. Roundtree was driving the van and Muhammad was inside with a cut on his hand. They had a large amount of copper wiring, walkie-talkies and work gloves.
A receipt also was in the van from Miller Compressing for a sale of $1,702.
Later that day, investigators were contacted by Wauwatosa police who reported that personnel at Miller said someone came in trying to sell a large amount of copper wiring. The seller was identified as Roundtree and the copper was valued at $2,815. Roundtree was arrested.
On Oct. 17, investigators were again contacted by Wauwatosa police after they learned Thomas — who was being held in Waukesha County Jail — may be connected to the burglary of Milwaukee Electric Tool. Thomas told investigators he went to the company regularly to take wiring, but he knew a man who has multiple vehicles and a crew of “kids” to steal wiring from buildings across the area. Thomas went to the man’s house a few days before the burglary after he was unable to sell scrap metal to a business, and the man began to ask him more questions about the location of metal at Milwaukee Electric Tool.
Thomas said the man then sent the “kids” to the company to locate the wire, but they were unable to find it, so he offered Thomas a couple hundred dollars to help them find it.
