Cops: Serial Copper Thief Caught in the Act
A man cutting copper piping from outside a home on Old Mill Lane in Remsenburg was caught red headed by detectives, according to Southampton Town police.
He was arrested on Monday at 1:45 p.m. for that crime and a number of other coppers thefts, police said.
Jonathan Hodgdon, 21, of Mastic, was the subject of a months-long investigation that revealed he cased neighborhoods for copper and other precious metal to steal and scrap at local recycling centers, police stated in a press release. Town detectives, along with Westhampton Beach and Quogue village police, have been investigating the similar larcenies between April 2013 and now.
Hodgdon was charged with six counts of third-degree grand larceny, five counts of second-degree criminal mischief, one count of third-degree burglary and one count of fourth degree grand larceny, a felony. He also faces multiple misdemeanors: petty larceny, possession of burglar’s tools, and fourth-degree criminal mischief.
After being held overnight, Hodgdon was arraigned at Southampton Town Justice Court in Hampton Bays.
Quogue and Westhampton Beach police are expected to file more charges.