Jeremiah James Copeland and James Calvin Wright {BSO}
Coral Springs Police and BSO Aviation arrested two men accused of a $200,000 AC scrapping scheme targeting Calvary Chapel and nearby businesses.
According to a Coral Springs Police Department arrest report, officers investigating a prior business burglary spotted a suspicious car parked behind a closed business plaza near Park’s Taekwondo Martial Arts, located at 5867 Wiles Road, around 2:56 a.m. on May 20.
Police said an officer conducting surveillance watched James Calvin Wright, 32, of Pompano Beach, approach the truck on foot, quietly open the passenger-side door, and then walk toward a dumpster enclosure behind the plaza before he was detained.
At the same time, the Broward Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit reportedly spotted another man, identified as Jeremiah James Copeland, 21, of Oakland Park, on the roof of a nearby building at 4601 North State Road 7. Investigators said Copeland was tampering with several air-conditioning units at a property owned by Calvary Chapel of Fort Lauderdale.
Authorities said a large silver ladder was found propped against the northwest side of the building, which detectives believe was used to gain access to the roof. After officers issued verbal commands, contacting him by phone through dispatch, Copeland climbed down the ladder and surrendered without incident, according to the report.
During questioning, Wright allegedly admitted that he and a friend known as “Bill” were there to “scrap” metal and that it was his first time participating in the activity. Detectives accused Wright of acting as a lookout while Copeland damaged the air conditioning units in an attempt to steal materials from them.
Crime scene investigators later found four air conditioning units had been tampered with, including two that were completely destroyed. Detectives said they recovered a Dewalt screw gun and a Dewalt Sawzall, allegedly used to cut into the units. The estimated damage was $200,000.
Wright and Copeland were both arrested and charged with first-degree felonies and transported to the Broward County Main Jail.
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