CAUGHT ON TAPE: City Workers Sell Copper?

WATCH THE VIDEO & CATALLO'S REPORT IN VIDEO PLAYER RIGHT

[ANCHOR]
SELLING STOLEN SCRAP METAL IS A BIG PROBLEM IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN. AND NOW THE ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATORS HAVE UNCOVERED SOME COMPELLING VIDEO OF A VERY QUESTIONABLE SCRAP METAL TRANSACTION.

[HEATHER]
THIS VIDEO JUST SURFACED TODAY AS PART OF A LAWSUIT. AND IT SHOWS 2 MEN IN A CITY OF DETROIT TRUCK… SELLING ROLLS OF WIRE TO A SCRAP YARD.

[TAPE] 

THE TRUCK IS CLEARLY MARKED – CITY OF DETROIT.

WATCH AS IT PULLS INTO A SCRAP YARD LOCATED ON DETROIT’S EAST SIDE.

THE TWO MEN INSIDE THE TRUCK GET OUT… AND SHOW THE SCRAPYARD EMPLOYEES WHAT THEY HAVE INSIDE THE CITY TRUCK… IT LOOKS LIKE A REEL OF INSULATED COPPER WIRING.

COPPER WIRE IS A HOT COMMODITY RIGHT NOW… IT GETS STOLEN FOR IT’S SCRAP VALUE ALL THE TIME. THE TWO MEN FROM THE CITY TRUCK… ALONG WITH EMPLOYEES OF THE SCRAP YARD WEIGH THE WIRE REEL.

THEN THE CASHIER GIVES ONE OF THE MEN A BUNCH OF CASH… AND THEY DRIVE AWAY… LEAVING THE WIRE BEHIND.

JOHN VICO OWNS THE BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE SCRAPYARD BUSINESS. VICO IS SUING THE SCRAP YARD COMPANY – AND HE SAYS HE BELIEVES THAT COPPER YOU SEE IN THE VIDEO IS STOLEN.

[JOHN VICO/LANDLORD] “As a business owner, people could make assumptions… we don’t want that stuff going on down there.”

VICO IS NOT SURE WHO THE MEN ARE… OR WHY THEY’RE DRIVING A CITY TRUCK… OR WHERE THEY FOUND THE COPPER WIRING. HE JUST DOESN’T WANT HIS TENANT TO BUY STOLEN GOODS.

“I care for the city… to do biz in.”

[HEATHER]
THE SCRAP COMPANY’S LAWYER SAYS HE DOESN’T THINK THE TWO MEN ACTUALLY WORK FOR THE CITY OF DETROIT – BUT COULD OFFER NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THEY WERE IN A CITY TRUCK.

THE MAYOR’S PRESS SECRETARY JUST TOLD ME THAT IF CITY EMPLOYEES DID SOMETHING WRONG, THEY WILL BE INVESTIGATED.



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