Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's deputies have arrested four men in connection with recent copper wire thefts.
The men, three from lake charles and one from Montana, are accused of stealing cooper wire and piping from the hotel at which some of them were staying.
Kelly Esthay, 51; Seth Cart, 23; and Anthony Douvio, 51; all of Lake Charles, and Luke Fabry, 29, of Round Up, Montana, were all booked into the Calcasieu Correctional Center. Esthay, Fabry, and Cart were booked with simple burglary; theft from $25,000 or more; and simple criminal damage to property. Bonds are set at $25,000. Douvio was booked with illegal possession of stolen things $5,000 to $25,000; possession of a firearm in the presence of a CDS; possession of CDS II; and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond is set at $79,000.
The investigation began on July 26 when detectives were called to a hotel on West Prien Lake Road.
During the initial investigation detectives say they determined that Esthay, Fabry and Cart had been staying in one of the buildings on the property, without the owner’s permission. Detectives also allege that while the three men were staying at the hotel, which was damaged from Hurricanes Laura and Delta, they were cutting pieces of copper wire and piping from the hotel building and dismantling air conditioners in order to remove the copper from inside.
Detectives then obtained and executed a search warrant at Douvio's house on North Flounder Drive, and allegedly found a large amount of copper wire, pipes, and air conditioner coils, which had been stolen from the hotel. Detectives also allegedly found methamphetamines, drug paraphernalia, and a gun inside the home. Detectives allege that Douvio scrapped nearly 17,000 pounds of copper within the past 7 months.
CPSO Detective John Coffman is the lead investigator on this case.
