Three Men Arrested For Stealing Copper Wire From Virginia Data Center Construction Site

Three men have been arrested after allegedly stealing copper wire from a data center construction site in Loudoun County, Virginia. Police responded to reports of a burglary at a construction site near 45000 Maries Road in Sterling shortly before 12:30 a.m. on July 31.

On August 1, authorities arrested Jhamal Micah Kalil Muskelly, 21, Demetrius Shaun Charlton, 23, and Cordell Lamar Carter, 18, after stopping a U-Haul and discovering approximately $100,000 worth of stolen copper wire. According to local reports, Muskelly and Charlton were both on parole at the time of their arrests.

All three suspects have been charged with grand larceny. Authorities have not identified the data center construction site targeted in the theft, although EdgeCore is currently developing its 72MW AS01 campus less than a mile from the reported location. Copper theft remains a widespread issue, with AT&T reporting more than 10,000 theft incidents in 2025, resulting in losses of approximately $82 million.