California, MD— On July 19, Maryland Natural Resources Police Officer Grice responded to Super Salvage located at Old Saint Andrews  Church Road in California for a report of a possible theft in progress. 

Grice had previously received information that led him to suspect that Daniel Holley Dement, 49 of Lexington Park, who had previously served a community service sentence at Point Lookout State Park, had, “stolen copper wire from the buoy building on or about July 15, 2016,” according to charging documents.

Grice reviewed Dement’ s recent salvage receipts from Super Salvage and noted that on July 15, 2016 he had received a payment of $145.25 in cash for 83 pounds of copper.

Grice then observed that the picture on the receipt appeared to be large gauge copper wire with a black coating consistent with what I had previously seen inside the buoy building. 

Grice presented the receipt to Super Salvage workers, who retrieved the wire from storage. Grice observed that the wire consisted of four coils of black coated, large gauge copper wire, “lettered in white with “Type THW Phelps Dodge Habridure — 3/0 — 600V — (UL),” repeated along the length of the wire. The ends of the coils were roughly cut,” according to charging documents. 

Grice seized the wire and responded to the buoy building at Point Lookout State Park.

Grice noted that in order to access the buoy building, “I had to pass through two locked chain link gates topped with barbed wire, and that the second gate was clearly marked with a ‘No Trespassing’ sign.” 

Comparing the longer seized coils of wire with the remaining stubs, Grice was able to determine that the cuts on the seized coils were consistent with the cuts on the stubs, with each coil corresponding to only one of the stubs. The placement of the cuts relative to the lettering on the coils also, “corresponded with the labeling on the stubs in a continuous pattern,” according to charging documents. 

Dement was charged with second-degree burglary, theft: less than $1,000, malicious destruction of property, and trespass—posted property. 

A summons was issued  Aug. 5, however the summons at this time has not yet been severed. Dement faces a maximum jail sentence of 17 years and/or a maximum fine of $1,500. 

Contact Charles Seifert at c.seifert@thebaynet.com