Alleged Copper Thieves Nabbed By Lower Township Police

LOWER TOWNSHIP – Following a lengthy investigation that involved multiple law enforcement agencies the Lower Township Police Department has charged two individuals suspected in over twenty counts of burglary and theft who were involved in a copper piping burglary ring.
During the month of February 2010 the Lower Township Police Department began receiving reports of copper piping being removed from the crawl spaces of homes throughout Lower Township.
The majority of the homes where the thefts occurred were unoccupied summer residences. The Lower Township Police Department has taken reports on nearly (30) thirty such thefts in the last few months.
Chief Edward Donohue reported that Detective Chris Lambert was the lead investigator on the case.
Detective Lambert visited numerous scrap metal dealerships throughout the area and was able to develop suspects in the case based on receipts from Raffs Recycling located in Cape May Court House NJ.
The investigation determined that the same person had sold #2 copper piping to Raffs Recycling on multiple dates and received a total of approximately $1,200.00 for the stolen copper piping.
Further investigation then led to arrest warrants being issued for two individuals being identified as:
1 Frederick Hamilton, age 45 of the 200 block of East Hudson Avenue Villas NJ
2 Donavan Smith, age 26 of the 700 block of Indian Avenue in North Cape May NJ
Both individuals reside in Lower Township.
Upon learning of the arrest warrants Frederick Hamilton fled the area.
However, Donavan Smith surrendered himself to the Lower Township Police and was arrested on April 14th and charged with (19) nineteen counts of burglary and theft. Municipal Court Judge James Birchmeyer then set Smiths bail at $50,000.00.
Smith was subsequently lodged in the Cape May County Jail in defult of bail.
Detective Lambert then received information that Frederick Hamilton had fled to an area of the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.
Detective Lambert was then in touch with the Stroudsburg Police Department in Pennsylvania who had several residences under surveillance in an attempt to apprehend Hamilton.
After several days, information was received that Hamilton had left Pennsylvania possibly for a residence in Somers Point NJ.
Lower Township Detectives along with Somers Point Police Officers then visited several locations in Somers Point in attempt to locate Hamilton.
Then on April 21st while conducting surveillance of a residence, on Gibbs Street in Somers Point Police Officers located and arrested Frederick Hamilton on the Lower Township arrest warrants.
Hamilton was then transported from Somers Point to the Lower Township Police Department for processing and charged with (19) nineteen counts of burglary and theft. Lower Township Municipal Court Judge David Deweese set Hamilton’s Bail at $50,000.00 full cash, Hamilton was then lodged in the Cape May County Jail on default of bail.
Lower Township Police Chief Edward Donohue credited his Police Officers and Detective Division for their work on this case specifically citing Detective Chris Lambert’s efforts in developing suspects in the case and following up on leads which led to the successful apprehension and arrest of Hamilton and Smith.
Chief Donohue also thanked the Stroudsburg PA Police Department and Somers Point NJ Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
The Lower Township Police Department is continuing its investigation into additional residences which may have been entered and believe more thefts may be reported as summer residents return to their homes in Lower Township.