[StBernard] Two St. Bernard Parish men booked with theft of copper, aluminum from parish construction site

[Westley Annis]

Two St. Bernard Parish men booked with theft of copper, aluminum from parish
construction site

Published: Friday, January 21, 2011, 6:14 PM     Updated: Friday, January
21, 2011, 8:17 PM

 By The Times-Picayune 

Two St. Bernard Parish men have been arrested for stealing more than $25,000
in metal piping from a St. Bernard Parish wastewater treatment plant under
construction, authorities said. A third man is being sought.

The men later sold the stolen material, copper and aluminum, as scrap.

Allan Campo and Joshua Bordelon were booked with felony theft, authorities
said. A third man, Shawn Richard, is wanted for felony theft.

The arrests came after a nearly month-long investigation of the periodic
theft of the metal piping at a St. Bernard Parish wastewater treatment plant
under construction in Meraux, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office said.

Copper and aluminum stolen from the site was sold as scrap in New Orleans,
Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said. Pohlmann said investigators have
sales records from the scrap yard, photographic evidence from the site and
conducted numerous interviews that led to the arrests.

The investigation is continuing, Pohlmann said. Several thousand dollars
worth of tools were also stolen at the plant but haven't been recovered.

"This type of investigation is time-consuming and requires much manpower but
is important because it involves the rebuilding of St. Bernard Parish,''
Pohlmann said. "The people we are bringing to justice prey on whatever they
can steal and then sell for scrap metal and in this case, to them, getting
their next drug fix was more important than the good of the parish.''

Anyone with information on the thefts or Richard's whereabouts is asked to
call the Sheriff's Office at 504. 271.2501.