Not to diminish this guy’s crime but it sounds like he was bringing a huge amount of copper into the same recycling centers and they all were in the same area. And I’m sure the operators get suspicious if they see something that looks like copper pipe ripped out of a house on a regular basis, especially being brought in by a guy who looks like this. I bet they simply turned a blind eye.
And sadly this is not unusual. It happens over and over all over the country. And it isn’t just drug addicts doing it. There as a professional ring in my area doing it. That is what is really scary. Not just some drug addict out looking for an easy target but professionals who know what they are doing.
The operators are in a bad spot when all they have is suspicions. If they say “no we don’t think you’re getting this legally” then the guy is just going to go sell to their competition, and now the competition has more inventory to sell. Maybe if the recyclers worked like Vegas casinos and had a black book, but people would probably just accuse them of collusion then.
As things get tougher all over, even for the criminals, then the organized guys get into more trades that work closer to our homes.
He might have stolen and sold the same copper several times.
Not to suggest that this jerk shouldn't be forced to come up with some form of restitution. However, I doubt that his kidneys are worth anything.