Local man sentenced for buying stolen copper wire

A Tulare County judge sentenced 46-year-old Jose Baltazar of Porterville to 181 days in jail for purchasing copper wire from an undercover officer working with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department.

The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday that Baltazar was also placed on three years felony probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine for receiving property without due diligence and for failure to keep proper records by a recycling center.
Baltazar plead no contest to the charges on Dec. 4.

On Sept. 4, Baltazar was working at a local recycling center when he purchased clearly identifiable wire owned by Southern California Edison from the undercover officer, the DA’s Office reports. During the transaction, it was discussed the wire was stolen, but Baltazar still purchased the wire.

The case was investigated by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Darla Kaiser, rural crimes prosecutor.