Pinckney Police 7-Month Investigation Into $100K Embezzlement Leads to Arrest

By Doug Marrin

A seven-month investigation by the Pinckney Police Department has revealed embezzlement of $100,000 in scrap metal from a local business.

In a February 11 post on Facebook, Pinckney PD told of an investigation begun in July 2020 into the suspected theft occurring at a local factory. From the investigation, the police determined the theft was by an employee hired in November 2019 and terminated in July 2020. Police traced the stolen metals to multiple scrap dealers in Wayne and Washtenaw Counties. During his time with the company, the employee stole metals while on the job and after work going as far as removing the electrical wire from machinery causing breakdowns.

“The $100,000 figure is what we can actually show was stolen,” says Pinckney Police Investigator Ryan Hamlin in a phone call with The Sun Times News. “More is missing that can’t be traced back. Thousands of pounds of metals were stolen.”

Officer Hamlin obtained a confession from the suspect identified as Ian Lumley of Pinckney. Lumley was arrested and charged with embezzlement of $50,000 to $100,000, a 15-year felony.

“In a smaller factory, you get to know one another and nobody wants to imagine somebody stealing,” says Officer Hamlin. “But then, things start to disappear. Somebody goes to use a machine only to find the electrical wiring is missing. The employees grew concerned and that’s when it was brought to the attention of the police.”

Officer Hamlin told of how one witness described seeing the defendant take his coat off and hang it using a hanger. The hanger broke from the weight of the coat and the garment clanged when it hit the floor. The defendant was also seen filling cardboard boxes with metals. “Nobody thought anything of it at the time because they didn’t see what he was doing with the metals,” says Hamlin. “The day he was terminated, he had set aside a stack of metals to take.”

As far as motive goes, Officer Hamlin said the defendant confessed to finding a weakness in the security system—no cameras—and he took advantage of it to make some money. “His stance was that it was the company’s fault because they should have had the proper security measures to prevent stealing,” explained Hamlin.

The Michigan State Police report that Michigan is tenth in the nation for the number of scrap metal thefts. The loss Michiganders experience numbers in the millions. Stealing valuable metal has risen to a serious concern for police, businesses, public utilities, railroads, and the community at large.

While many people equate scrap metal as junk, some are keenly aware of its value. As of February 4, 2021, priceofscrapmetals.com posted the per pound value for scrap metals in Michigan, including aluminum $0.89, copper $3.52, brass $2.72, tin $11.34, and cast iron $2.02.

Image: Pinckney Police Department Facebook

Photo: Google