DeLand man accused of stealing, selling nearly a ton in copper

DeLAND, Fla. — Volusia County Sheriff’s investigators arrested a 31-year-old DeLeon Springs man on Thursday who’s accused of stealing nearly a ton of copper from the electrical business where he worked and then selling it to a local scrap yard.

Authorities said Raymond Clifton came under suspicion due to the massive amounts of copper he sold to a DeLand scrap yard.

There were 17 transactions that ranged from 55 pounds of copper to nearly 300 pounds, authorities said.

Workers at the scrap yard said they also thought it odd when Clifton mentioned a recent news story about someone who had been arrested for selling stolen copper and then asked if the crime was a misdemeanor or felony offense.

Over a two-month period beginning in early June, Clifton sold 1,911 pounds of copper that netted him nearly $5,300, authorities said.

When sheriff’s investigators were tipped off to the suspicious sales, they worked with the Longwood Police Department to reach out to the electrical business in Longwood where Clifton worked.

Asked to check their copper stockpile, the company discovered that large quantities were missing. The owner also told investigators Clifton was an unreliable employee who had a pill problem, authorities said.

Clifton was arrested and charged with dealing in stolen property. He was booked into the Volusia County Jail on $10,000 bond.

WFTV