2 Riverview Men Sold Stolen Metal, Detectives Say

Two Riverview men are facing charges of dealing in stolen property after selling metal to a recycling company in Gibsonton.

The separate arrests — officials don't believe the crimes are related — were made by detectives and deputies assigned to the District 4 Metal Thefts Investigative Unit.

The unit has made 38 arrests in the six weeks it has been operational and is keeping an eye on metal yards in Brandon, Plant City, Tampa and throughout the county, according to a Brandon Patch article on the metal theft crackdown.

One of the two men arrested Aug. 3 was William Alfred Dickens, 49, of 13813 Hillcrest Drive, who is also charged with giving false information to a secondary metal recycling company.

Detectives from the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office Investigative Unit were checking several suspicious metal transactions that were conducted throughout July by Dickens, according to the sheriff’s office.

Dickens had several transactions at Patriot Metals in Gibsonton, according to the sheriff’s office. In each transaction, Dickens turned in brand new copper tubing that had been cut up into sections. Investigators believe Dickens may have taken the metal where he was working.

On July 28, deputies went to Dickens’ Riverview home where it was determined Dickens had stolen the metal from his employer, Jadeco.

The metal was being stored at a construction site in Sarasota County. Dickens said he was going to the job site after hours and was taking the metal back to Riverview, where he would cut it up, according to detectives.

He then took the material to Patriot Metals, where he turned it in for cash.

Further charges from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office are expected in the case.

Another suspect allegedly stole brass from Busch Gardens

The District 4 Metal Thefts Investigative Unit also arrested Richard Macbay, 36, of 11727 Stonewood Gate Drive in Riverview, on charges of selling 97 pounds of brass metal plates worth $1,100 to Patriot Metals in Gibsonton.

Detectives say Macbay , where he had been working.

“We have a group of investigators working over summer on these cases,” said District 4 Cpl. Steve Billor. “We pulled in some school resource to assist with manpower so we can proactively go out and increase our investigations in metal thefts.”

In operation for six weeks, the unit has so far arrested 38 people.

“In most cases, the people that are doing this are either stealing from their company or they have a substance abuse problem," Billor said. "They are looking for some quick and easy money, and (stealing metal) doesn’t require a lot of skill.”

Although difficult to gauge the exact amount of metal theft going on, Billor said it’s widespread in Hillsborough County.

“These crimes are happening all over the county, and we are watching yards all over the county.”