Greenfield Man Caught in Copper Burglary

A Greenfield man is facing charges after he and a friend were caught breaking into vacant Milwaukee properties to steal copper.

Joshua A. Hoffman, 22, of Greenfield, and Rick D. Brenwall, 37, of Milwaukee, were charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Thursday with three counts of burglary. If convicted, they each face up to 37 ½ years in prison and $75,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

On March 31, a Milwaukee police officer spotted an SUV parked in front of a vacant property in the 10700 block of Green Tree Road, then saw Brenwall get out of the SUV and unlock the door of a vacant and foreclosed home. Hoffman then got out of the SUV with a bucket of tools and followed Brenwall inside.

The officer was aware of a recent burglary of copper pipes on a vacant home slated for a short sale several days earlier in the 9300 block of West Fairlane Court and suspected it may be the same culprits.

The officer called for backup, but Hoffman and Brenwall had locked themselves inside, so officers needed to force their way into the home. Inside they found the two and discovered a 12-foot long piece of copper tube had been removed and placed by the tool bucket.

Police also traced the burglary back to a vacant commercial property in the 700 block of East Center Street, where the two allegedly took more than 100 feet of copper pipe from a building radiator system and 150 feet of Romex cable.

The men admitted to the thefts, saying they entered the vacant buildings using a master key. They planned to collect 100 pounds of copper so they could sell it for $300 and split the profits 60/40.

Brenwall was slated to get the bigger half of the profits because he needed to buy prescription pills he’s addicted to and needs to support his girlfriend and child.

Both men have been turned over to the JUSTICE 2000 while awaiting trial.