Coventry Police Recover $50K in Stolen Copper, Including Some From EG; 2 Suspects Arrested

Two Coventry men face felony charges for possession $50,000 worth of stolen copper following arrests earlier this month by Coventry police. They are also being charged by East Greenwich police in connection to copper thefts from a house on Shippeetown Road. 

On Feb. 6, Coventry Police Officer Jadine Ferri observed a suspicious vehicle operating on Johnsons Boulevard in Coventry and made note of several large items in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle then stopped in front of a residence at 90 Johnsons Blvd. Off. Ferri passed her observations on to Coventry detectives, who began a stakeout of the parked vehicle. 

At about 10:19 a.m., a male, later identified as Greg Waldron, 33, of 315 Station St., got in the car and headed south on Hopkins Hill Road.

The vehicle was followed a short distance by detectives and later stopped on Hopkins Hill Road by marked patrol cars where officers discovered copper coils stolen from cell phone towers in East Providence in the rear of Waldron’s vehicle. Waldron was arrested for possession of the stolen items, possession of burglary tools and possession of heroin. He was arraigned and held as a violator.  

After further investigation, detectives executed a search warrant at 90 Johnsons Blvd. where they recovered more than $50,000 worth of copper coils and piping suspected to be stolen from cell phone towers throughout the area. After the search Joshua Fleming, 32, of 90 Johnsons Blvd., was arrested and charged with receiving stolen goods (a felony when valued above $1,500). He was also held as a probation violator. 

Items recovered during the search of Fleming's home led to additional charges by the Rhode Island State Police and East Providence police against the two men.