Elon man charged in HVAC thefts from churches, businesses across three counties

A string of HVAC thefts left churches and small businesses across Alamance, Caswell and Rockingham counties facing expensive repairs, service disruptions and security upgrades before investigators tied the case to a 34-year-old Elon man, Bradley Richard Hall.

Deputies said the investigation began March 30 as detectives with the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office worked with their counterparts in Caswell and Rockingham counties to trace a series of larcenies targeting exterior HVAC units. After searching Hall’s residence, investigators said they found evidence linking him to the thefts and also discovered narcotics.

The losses were not minor. One unit taken from CrossWay Church in Elon was valued at $11,500, and Ruffin Stacey Baptist Church said it was looking at about a $12,000 replacement bill before insurance stepped in. Pastor Terry Larson said a worker first noticed the units were missing, and the church has since replaced the stolen equipment and installed additional security cameras. That kind of aftermath is why these thefts hit churches especially hard: the equipment is costly, but so are the emergency repairs, lost comfort for congregations and the added expense of protecting the property from repeat theft.

Investigators tied the case to several other sites, including St. James Baptist Church in Reidsville, Gilliam Primitive Baptist Church in Alamance County, Bucky’s Grocery and Camp Springs United Methodist Church in Caswell County, and Smith’s Corner Store on U.S. Highway 158 West. Court records say Hall was initially apprehended in Caswell County after allegedly cutting through a fence to reach an air conditioning unit at Smith’s Corner Store.

Authorities said Hall also is tied to units stolen from Ruffin Stacey Baptist Church and that the equipment was sold for scrap metal, a reminder that the payout for thieves is often tiny compared with the damage left behind. In a 2009 Wayne County church-copper theft case, five churches suffered about $32,000 in losses while the thief got just $160 in scrap value, underscoring how little these crimes return compared with the cost to victims.

Hall was charged in Alamance County with felony larceny and felony possession of narcotics. Rockingham County filed 10 felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense tied to offloading copper and air-conditioning compressors, and the April 30 report said Hall faced six felony larceny charges plus three initial felony counts from the Smith’s Corner Store case. He remained in custody under bonds totaling $60,000 in Rockingham County, $30,000 in Alamance County and $35,000 in Caswell County.