Quote Originally Posted by Anthony Cormier, Tampa Bay Online
SARASOTA COUNTY - Claude DuPont has sold scrap metal for a Sarasota company for 25 years, hauling the wire around for the past few years with his dog Snoopy by his side in the truck.

But during a routine run to the recycle yard, DuPont had to call his boss with a sad request: Come get my dog, I'm being arrested on a charge of selling stolen goods.

"I said to myself, 'What the hell is going on? Why should I be arrested? I didn't do anything,'" said DuPont.

It turns out the arrest was all a mistake, but DuPont filed a lawsuit.

The arrest underscores the difficulty law enforcement has when trying to solve cases of stolen metal, unless the thief is caught red-handed.

Authorities say metal theft is on the rise nationwide, including New York City thieves stealing manhole covers to sell for scrap. There is no serial number or other proof that one piece of metal belonged to someone else, often leaving detectives with weak circumstantial evidence.

In this case, a video camera at Scrap-All of Sarasota Inc. showed DuPont selling some wire.

Young called the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, which put out a warrant for DuPont's arrest.

Young said it is up to the sheriff's office to make sure they are arresting the right person.
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