Suspected thieves were drug addicts, deputies say

Deputies said the recently captured copper thieves were carrying out their county-wide crime spree in order to feed their drug habits.

More than a dozen times John V. Terry Jr. and Daniel R. Rogers targeted commercial properties and smashed into the air-conditioning units, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

They removed the guts of the units – mostly copper and aluminum – with the intention of swapping the valuable metals for cash, deputies said.

They got caught in the act shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday when they emerged from the woods behind Penthouse Cleaners in the 16000 block of Cortez Boulevard, according to an arrest affidavit.

An undercover detective spotted them. He stated in his report they were approaching the business in a "stealthy manner" and had the clothes to match.

"Both (men) were wearing dark, hooded sweat shirts, gloves and handkerchiefs over their faces concealing their identity," the detective wrote.

The suspects bolted.

Rogers was caught trying to get into his car at a gas station a short distance west from where he was first seen, deputies said.

A K-9 was called to the area and deputies discovered Rogers' sweat shirt, gloves and handkerchief lying in the woods, according to the affidavit.

Rogers identified his accomplice, Terry, and both men were booked that morning at the Hernando County Jail, deputies said.

Both men made statements to detectives about needing to steal copper so they could satisfy their drug dependencies, according to the sheriff's office.

Cpl. Wendy McGinnis, a sheriff's spokeswoman, said detectives are still looking into whether the men had recycled some or all of what they had stolen during the previous six weeks.

Churches, businesses, plazas and vacant buildings – from Brooksville to Weeki Wachee – were among the targeted facilities. The rash of thefts began Nov. 30.

In all, there were 20 theft cases reported to law enforcement and Rogers and Terry have been linked to most of them, deputies said.

The investigation remains open.

"We're relieved they got them and the sheriff's office did a fantastic job catching them," said Lou Lessner, the commander at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10209 in Spring Hill.

The suspects are accused of destroying seven units at the VFW building, located at 14736 Edward R. Noll Drive.

Lessner said replacing the units and adding better security will cost about $7,000 out of pocket. Some of the costs were covered by insurance.

"At least they got caught and we won't have to worry about them coming back," he said.