Homestead Police have arrested five men accused of trying to steal several thousand feet of underground copper wire belonging to AT&T as part of an elaborate scheme.
The subjects were seen posing as a work crew in construction outfits when they were caught attempting pull the underground copper wiring, according to a statement by the Homestead Police Department.
Due to previous reports of a prior theft in the area, an officer watched the men for a while before requesting backup.
“All five were apprehended. Of the five, two have a prior history with Miami-Dade County – one of which was in possession of a firearm by a convicted felon,” said Sgt. Fernando Morales.
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Police have identified the suspects as Yordan Ramirez, 42, Ivan Perez-Garcia, 55, Eric Gonzalez-Pando, 24, Francisco Alberto Guiterrez, 50, and Ermes Gonzalez-Pando, 43. All five subjects were arrested and charged with numerous crimes.
Officers also seized two firearms at the scene.
After taking the men into custody, police met with an AT&T investigator who confirmed the wire belonged to the company.
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According to Homestead Police, the stolen copper is valued at $30,000, but as per AT&T, the repairs would cost an excess of $100,000.
