Police arrested a man Sunday for stealing more than 300 pounds of copper from UF.
Thomas Jerrel Drawdy, 47, of Lake Butler, was accused of stealing more than 800 feet of copper grounding wire from the roof of the UF Cancer Genetics Research Complex, at 1376 Mowry Road, last month, according to a University Police arrest report.
Video footage showed Drawdy walking onto the building's worksite with Pressure Point Waterproofing workers on Oct. 12, the report said. Drawdy was fired from his job as a waterproofer in September, the report said.
He left the building with other workers that afternoon, the report said. He returned to the building about an hour later with a bucket of tools. Officers said the copper was found cut and removed.
The copper grounding wire, which is used for the building's lightning protection system, cost $11,750 to replace, the report said.
Receipts show Drawdy sold a total of 339 pounds of copper for a total of $607.03 throughout October, the report said.
On Oct. 13, Drawdy sold 96 pounds of stolen copper to CMC Commercial Metals for $192, the report said. That same day, he also sold 102 pounds of copper to Waltrip Salvage and Scrap for $173.40.
Samples of the copper from the roof matched the copper Drawdy sold at CMC Commercial Metals and Trademark Metals Recycling, the report said.
Drawdy is charged with burglary and grand theft valued at $10,000, the report said. He was released from the Alachua County Jail on a bond of $20,000 Tuesday night.
Drawdy could not be immediately reached for comment.
Contact Alyssa Ramos at aramos@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @LysKRamos
