Employee for contractor charged with copper theft

An employee for a local contractor is facing charges that he stole copper pipes from his employer and took the pipes to a copper recycler in a company truck.

An Oahu grand jury returned an indictment Thursday charging Dean Enrico with theft of copper, a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison. His bail is $11,000.

Enrico took the pipes, which are 20 feet long and have a diameter of 8 inches, to Okuda Metal on March 11-21, said Kelli Lee, deputy city prosecutor.

She said the owner of Okuda became suspicious when he noticed Enrico delivered the pipes in a truck with the name of Dorvin D. Leis Co. Inc. on it.

Dorvin D. Leis claims to be the largest mechanical contractor in Hawaii.