Construction Owner Nabs Roofing Material Thieves with GPS Tracking Device

30 Jul 2013

Using a deer hunting camera and a GPS tracking device, a construction owner catches repeat thieves.

Chris Davis, owner of construction company Paramount Exteriors, has been dealing with a nightmare for over a month. He has experienced his building materials stolen countless times, totaling approximately $21,000.

The roofing material was all stolen from the Legacy Apartments complex that was being built in Fort Mill, South Carolina.

Not only is it inconvenient coming to work with the intent to start building and noticing materials being gone, but the money he lost was considerable.

“It’s very frustrating because I have mouths to feed and so does my partners and we’re losing a lot of money on this job,” Davis told reporters.

After experiencing his materials being stolen multiple times, Davis finally decided to try and catch these thieves in hopes he could at least punish them for what they cost him. His first attempt at catching them was by using deer hunting cameras. He set them up in a location of the lot where he thought he would be able to catch them, if they attempted another theft.

They did, and he was successful at seeing and identifying Jusheem Broadhead and Earnest Bouchard. But while the cameras did pick up their face and helped York County sheriff deputies identify them, the truck’s license was still not visible.

The next step was using global positioning system (GPS) technology with a handy GPS tracking device. Davis told reporters that he put some of his more expensive material in the same location and waited three weeks before he got a result. He was at his house around 7:30 at night and his phone let off a ring. This was the warning sign that the materials had been picked up and the GPS tracking device was sending the signal.

The York County Sherriff department was also alerted and followed him to the construction site in Fort Mill. There, the two men were caught red-handed, attempting to steal material from the site. The sheriff was able to detain them and prevent the material from being stolen.

In the future, the department is hopeful that when criminals figure out just how effective GPS trackers are at catching them and punishing them for their crimes, it will deter future criminal activity. Davis is just happy to have these thieves off the streets.

“It’s a huge sigh of relief. I can sleep at night now. I couldn’t sleep at night knowing they could come back,” he said.

Bouchard and Broadhead were arrested for the theft of roofing materials and went to York County Jail. They are looking at criminal conspiracy charges and two counts of grand larceny for the theft.

You Are Here: LiveViewGPS Blog » Construction Owner Nabs Roofing Material Thieves with GPS Tracking Device

About George Karonis

George Karonis is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of LiveViewGPS Inc., a company he established in 2008 with the vision of making real-time GPS tracking more reliable, affordable, and accessible for businesses of all sizes. Over the past two decades, he has built a reputation as an innovator in GPS tracking, fleet management, asset monitoring, and Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PTToC) communications. Under George's leadership, LiveViewGPS has grown into a nationally recognized provider of GPS tracking solutions, serving businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, law enforcement organizations, and public works departments throughout the United States. The company's technology helps organizations improve operational efficiency, protect valuable assets, increase driver safety, and reduce operating costs through real-time location intelligence. Before founding LiveViewGPS, George developed a background in security, surveillance, and emerging location technologies. His passion for innovation and practical problem solving has driven the development of products that combine dependable hardware with easy-to-use cloud software, giving customers actionable information when it matters most. In 2018, George expanded into nationwide Push-to-Talk over Cellular communications by launching PeakPTT, providing businesses with rugged, instant communication solutions that operate over LTE and Wi-Fi networks. His focus has remained the same throughout his career: delivering dependable technology backed by exceptional customer service and long-term customer relationships. George regularly writes about GPS tracking, fleet management, asset protection, business technology, and communication systems. Through this blog, he shares industry insights, practical advice, and emerging trends to help organizations make informed decisions about tracking technology and connected operations.