Three arrested in connection with copper, steel theft cases

Three Colbert County men, including a former Major League baseball pitcher, have been arrested in Muscle Shoals in connection with separate cases of copper and steel theft, police said.

Police investigators said Randall Lee "Randy" Tate, 55, 106 King St., Muscle Shoals, has been charged with first-degree theft of property. He is accused of stealing more than $20,000 worth of copper from Occidental Chemical Corp. in Muscle Shoals.

Tate was drafted by the New York Mets in the fifth round of the amateur draft in 1972. He pitched one season for the Mets, posting a 5-13 record with a 4.45 earned run average.

Police said arrests have also been made in connection with steel thefts at the Norfolk Southern rail yard on Wilson Dam Road and the Plumbers and Steamfitters union hall on East Avalon Avenue.

Reports indicate 21-year-old Zachary Jean Clos, 1107 Hemlock St., Tuscumbia, is charged with first-degree theft of property in connection with the theft of $3,000 worth of copper from Norfolk Southern.

Authorities said Clos and his 33-year-old brother, Laury "Buddy" King Weaver IV, 404 Annapolis Ave., Sheffield, have been charged with second-degree receiving stolen property in connection with the theft of steel on Oct. 10 from the Plumbers and Steamfitters office.

Copper thefts have been plaguing law enforcement officers for a while.

"We get reports on copper thefts constantly. It's almost daily," said Chief Investigator Travis Clemmons, of the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office.

Russellville Police investigator Lt. Scotty Lowery said after four recent arrests, the number of reported copper thefts his department was receiving has slowed.

"But for a while, we were having our share of them," Lowery said.

Muscle Shoals police investigator Capt. Lanny Coan said the thefts Tate is suspected of occurred from July to October. Coan said the department was notified Oct. 10, after company officials discovered the copper missing.

Reports indicate Tate, who was working for a contractor at the plant, is accused of taking numerous copper plates and bolts from the facility and selling them to a salvage yard.

Coan said the copper had an estimated value of nearly $23,000.

In the other case, department officials said Clos is accused of taking copper from the Norfolk Southern rail yard in June. Coan said the estimated value of the copper was $3,000.

"Anything that has copper in it is likely to be taken and sold for scrape," Clemmons said.

He said in some instances central air conditioning units have been taken and just the shell left.

Florence Police Deputy Chief Tony Logan said a few weeks ago Florence officers made some arrests where people were taking copper urns from graveyards and selling them.

"There have even been incidents where the criminals tore up walls to get the electrical wiring out of a building," he said. "As the price of copper continues to rise, it's going to continue to be a problem we're all going to have to deal with."

Tom Smith can be reached at tom.smith@timesdaily.com.