Brazen copper theft may cost $500K

WINDSOR, Ont. -- The Greek Orthodox Community of Windsor has been hit with what may be the largest copper theft ever in this area — which could cost $500,000 to replace.

The thieves were pros, taking their time — spending days on the job — using lifts and power equipment to remove copper wires and pipes, transformers, aluminum radiators and more from a former parts plant the Greek Orthodox Community group had bought with the hopes of renting out or possibly rebuilding into a hall and church.

“This is a catastrophe,” Mike Margaritis, president of the Greek Orthodox Community, said Monday in the 30,000-square-foot former Aramco plant at 3030 Walker Rd. “I’m very upset. We were ready to build and all of a sudden we’ve got this problem.”

The Greek Orthodox Community had fire but no theft insurance on the empty facility.

This was the second time copper thieves hit the plant. In September 2010, thieves made off with copper and transformers. But that job pales in comparison to the most recent heist, where crooks methodically removed old copper-core transformers but left newer ones, broke feeder pipes along three-storey high ceilings to pull out thick wire, and left metal radiator covers behind signalling where they removed more valuable copper pipes and aluminum fins.

Piles of discarded wire insulation lie at the bottom of pits that formerly housed metal presses.

Margaritis, who started as president of the Greek association Jan. 1, noticed the theft the first week of January after he obtained the keys from the previous association executive. No one knows exactly when bandits stripped the place. Margaritis did not find any signs of forced entry.

“They were very comfortable staying here,” said Margaritis, a retired building contractor. “They didn’t break a window. They didn’t break a door.”

Yves Poirier, owner of Poirier Electric who toured the facility Monday in order to provide a quote to replace the missing electrical materials, said much of the removal could not have been done by hand.

“It would have taken them weeks to take this out, there’s no other way,” Poirier said. “Some of these feeders are 500 feet long. You need equipment to pull it out. It was a big job.”

Poirier estimated that copper could fetch perhaps $1 a pound, while reused thick copper wire might be worth $4 a foot, or perhaps four times as much as the raw material.

Some stolen industrial disconnect switches cost about $1,000 a piece, he said.

Sgt. Brett Corey said Windsor police are investigating both incidents but have no suspects.

The Greek Orthodox Community sold the former Hellenic Banquet Hall on Highway 3 for $14 million as part of a highway expropriation, and bought the former Aramco plant for $4.3 million in December 2009.

The group had high hopes, with thoughts of a new community hall and church to serve the 3,000- to 4,000-strong Greek community in the Windsor area.

“At this point, we’re kicking different ideas around,” said Margaritis, noting that a few companies had shown interest in renting the facility. “Some engineers say we could build here. Some others say we should tear it down and build the church outside.

“But now we’re not quite sure.”

Anyone with information should contact Windsor police or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 519-258-TIPS (8477).