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More than two miles of electrical wire taken, police say

A Facebook post advertising Romex wire for sale helped lead to felony and other charges against a pair of suspected shoplifters, police said.

The couple — Eric D. Letcher Jr., 36, of Summit Township and Samantha Jo Ray, 31, of Farrell, Mercer County — are accused of stealing nearly $4,000 worth of the electrical wire from the Lowe’s store at Moraine Pointe Plaza.

On four separate occasions between Dec. 4 and Jan. 2, Butler Township police said, the duo made off with more than 14,000 feet of Romex wire.

Police on Wednesday obtained arrest warrants for Letcher and Ray.

A loss prevention employee for Lowes on Jan. 4 apparently provided a key clue to investigators, who already had store surveillance photos of the suspects but no names.

The employee was monitoring social media and came upon a Facebook page for Samantha Jo Letcher, who was advertising 1,000 feet of new Romex wire for sale, police said.

The post included a photo of the wire, a brand of residential wiring that is commonly referred to in the trade as “nonmetallic sheathed cable.”

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