Midlands man and woman charged with stealing copper wire worth thousands, SC cops say

A Midlands man and woman were arrested for stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of copper wire from Duke Energy, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.

Sumter residents Wade Carl Blackburn, 61, and Theresa Ann Browder, 60, were each charged with grand larceny ($10,000 or more), the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Blackburn and Browder were arrested Monday following a months-long investigation, according to the release.

The investigation began in October when a deputy was checking property at the Duke Energy Power substation near Red Bay Road, the sheriff’s office said. The deputy saw several rolls of power wire in random locations on the ground and the latch on a lock broken from a shipping container, according to the release.

Investigators found similar incidents where copper wire had been stolen over the past few months, the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators worked with Duke Energy personnel and came to believe Blackburn and Browder were responsible, according to the release.

During questioning, Blackburn and Browder admitted to the previous incidents, the sheriff’s office said.

Blackburn and Browder were taken to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center and each had bond set at $12,500, according to the release.

Despite the arrests, the sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate the copper thefts.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 803-436-2000, CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.

This story was originally published December 6, 2023 at 2:09 PM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription