Arizona Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Tucson Copper Wire Thefts

An Arizona man has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of copper wire from streetlights across Tucson, authorities say.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced that Robert Joseph Carrillo, 51, was also ordered to serve a consecutive five-year term of probation and pay $46,582 in restitution.

He began serving his sentence on March 24 in the Arizona Department of Corrections and received 138 days of credit for time already served.

“Stealing copper wire damaged more than just city infrastructure—it disabled streetlights and made neighborhoods less safe across Tucson,” Mayes said in a statement.

According to investigators, Carrillo targeted underground infrastructure owned by the City of Tucson between Sept. 22, 2025, and Oct. 11, 2025.

Authorities said he removed copper wiring used to power streetlights, causing $46,582 in damage before selling the stolen material on the scrap market.

The damage required extensive repairs by city electricians.

Carrillo pleaded guilty to theft and trafficking in stolen property, both Class 2 felonies.

In addition to prison time and restitution, he was ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.

The case was investigated by the Tucson Police Department’s Pawn and Scrap Metal Unit and prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Michael Lester.

Authorities say the case reflects a broader trend of copper theft incidents across Arizona and the nation.

In a separate case, troopers with the Arizona Department of Public Safety arrested two suspects on Nov. 18, 2025, near Loop 202 and 32nd Street in Phoenix after responding to reports of copper wire theft.

Investigators found electrical boxes forced open and stripped of wiring, and the suspects were located hiding nearby with tools and reflective clothing.

They face criminal damage charges.

Nationwide, copper theft is estimated to cause between $1 billion and $2 billion in damage each year.

Thieves often target electrical systems, construction sites, and utility infrastructure, sometimes posing as contractors to avoid detection.

In response to rising thefts, the Arizona Department of Transportation has begun installing high-tech sensors along Loop 202 and Interstate 17 to detect outages linked to copper wire theft and improve response times.

Utilities say the trend is being driven, in part, by rising scrap metal prices.

The Columbia River People’s Utility District (PUD) has reported an increase in burglaries at substations and other facilities across Oregon and Washington.

“Utilities in Oregon and Washington are seeing burglaries at substations and other facilities,” the utility stated on its website.

“This is a dangerous trend that increases costs for all PUD customers.

“When thieves break into substations to steal copper wire, they put themselves at great risk, often for little benefit.”

As of April, high-grade scrap copper was selling between $4.21 and $4.70 per pound, while insulated wire got about $1.25 per pound, according to Rockaway Recycling.