Copper thefts up across Richland County, how to spot criminal activityCOLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — The Richland County Sheriff’s Department is reporting a rise in copper thefts across the Midlands, and law enforcement is asking local residents to be on the lookout for copper thieves. In Richland County in the Midlands we have been hit by copper thefts very bad,” says Sheriff Leon Lott, adding that AT&T has been the victim of 105 copper thefts since last October. Sixty of those were in Richland County alone. Criminals then sell the stolen copper to scrap metal dealers and recyclers — oftentimes for big money — as in the case of 58-year-old Michael McCraw, who raked in $38,000 selling burned communication line copper. Recycling centers can also face criminal charges for purchasing stolen copper — Lott says anyone who possesses or sells copper is supposed to do so with a permit.