More than 12 thousand dollars of copper wire- stolen from a business in Lee County.
It's becoming a familiar story.

James Bowers works at Boulevard Tire on Alico Road.
He says,
"It's pretty desolate at night. We've had some thefts next door here. Dump trucks are still big.They steal them and send them overseas."

The latest to the area is 3 thousand feet of copper wire- stolen from Cemex just two businesses down.
Last week another company location- on Pine Island Road- was hit as well.

Bowers says,

"It doesn't surprise me."

That's because with copper prices so high, thieves looking to make a quick buck target businesses  and then seek out illegal scrap yards.

Robert Weber says,
"The law's only good for those who follow it."

Florida statute requires scrap metal yards record seller's ID's , pictures, and fingerprints.
Garden Street president Robert Weber says some scrap yards don't follow the law.

"I would tell you that within 30- 40 miles from here, where the crow flies, you'll find a couple of them."

Shut them down he says, the thefts will stop.

"It's the leak in the bucket, til they get rid of the ones that are continuing to do it without following the ordinance, you're going to have the theft."