BAKERSFIELD — A pair of Bakersfield brothers were arrested last Thursday afternoon after trying to sell large amounts of stolen copper wire to a local recycling center earlier this month.
Brian McDaniel, 30, and his brother 30-year-old Eric McDaniel were booked into the Kern County Sheriff’s Central Receiving Facility for possession of stolen property, possession of stolen property by a second-hand dealer, conspiracy and burglary.
According to authorities, the arrests were the result of a nearly month-long investigation that began back on Aug. 8, when employees of Sierra Recycling contacted the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Rural Crime Investigation Unit regarding some suspicious copper wire that was brought into the recycling center.
Detectives said they were told by employees that the suspect, later identified as Brian McDaniel, had delivered approximately 3,000 pounds commercial grade copper wire to the recycling center from his business B&E Electric, which was located at a residence in Bakersfield.
“After further investigation detectives quickly determined the property was stolen from a nearby oilfield company in the Taft area,” Sheriff’s spokesperson Ray Pruitt said. “A search warrant was issued, and after a search of the suspect’s home, detectives found several pieces of copper wire insulation, which was consistent with the wire delivered to Sierra Recycling earlier this month.”
Pruitt said that the department also seized additional spools of copper wire from the McDaniel’s home, located in the 800 block of South Oleander Avenue in central Bakersfield.
Read more:
KERO: Brothers arrested for having stolen copper wire
