Is copper in the vehicle enough to charged with a crime?

Authorities report that two New Jersey men were caught stealing a copper downspout. The two men, both 25 years old, allegedly took the downspout from a New Jersey home and were later pulled over by police officials. Each defendant was charged with a crime of theft, defiant trespass, criminal mischief and receiving stolen property.

The two men are being held on $100,000 bail at the Northampton County prison. One defendant is from the Phillipsburg area and the other is from Belvidere. Authorities say that other robberies took place in the neighborhood of Paxinosa Avenue. The two men were arrested after police stopped them and reportedly discovered that stolen copper was being kept in the vehicle in which the two suspects were traveling at the time.

According to authorities, the two men were responsible for the residences on Paxinosa Avenue being robbed of their copper downspouts. The two men were stopped near where the robberies took place. Officials did not make it immediately clear which man might have been driving the vehicle. Reports did reveal that both men have previous criminal histories.

New Jersey residents charged with a crime similar to the one mentioned above should be aware of the rights that they are guaranteed based upon New Jersey and American law. Regardless of previous criminal histories, these men are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Finding copper in the vehicle doesn’t automatically prove guilt of theft. It may be in the best interests of both men to fully research the law and possible penalties they face as they decide whether to fight the charges made against them or to negotiate some sort of plea arrangement with prosecutors.

Source: The Express Times, “New Jersey men allegedly stole copper from Easton homes,” Peter Panepinto, Dec. 18, 2012