Planted GPS Tracking Device Catches Home Construction Thieves Red Handed
29 Mar 2012Fed up with construction materials continuously disappearing from his construction sites, a building owner decided to conduct some investigative work himself.
All-in-all, the homes construction company owner, Miles Volpe, lost thousands of dollars in construction materials and building supplies because thieves kept breaking into his homes under construction near Detroit, Michigan.
Volpe covertly placed a GPS tracking device in some of the construction supplies at one of his building sites. Yes, he left the box of construction materials for bait in an effort to lure the bandits into his trap.
“I did research. Talked to the guys at the spy shop in downtown Rochester, and, you know, technology is out there now that you can have GPS tracking devices and stuff like that,” said Volpe.
As it turns out, his bait worked. In a few days, he received a text message from his GPS tracking device notifying him that his construction materials were, in fact, in motion.
Volpe called the police, who were able to use the real time GPS tracker to find the two men who had taken the material. Oakland County Sheriff’s Department law enforcement witnessed the men transferring the construction materials from one vehicle to another. A vehicle search uncovered the stolen construction materials, which Volpe identified as being stolen from the homes.
Police used the GPS tracker to trace the men’s route that day. The tracker data showed the men going to other homes that day as well, one of which they confirmed as being burglarized.
The 40 and 50 year old suspects were both charged with two counts of breaking and entering. The Hamtramck and Chesterfield men are now accused of several home construction sites thefts. If convicted, the men could face 20 years in prison. Both suspects have extensive criminal records, according to the police.
Thanks to a vigilant business owner and GPS tracking technology, the two men were caught red handed and arrested.
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