Two Waldorf Men Arrested for Burglary After Smart Power Meter Alerts SMECO

On Thursday, August 31, 2017, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Deputies from the Charles County Sheriff’s Office responded to 4070 Gardiner Road, in Waldorf, in reference to the tampering of an electric meter.

Upon arrival police made contact with a SMECO employee, and took her statement. The employee stated that on August 30, 2017, an alarm went off from a smart meter, the alarm warns SMECO if someone has tampered with one of their meters and provides the address of the meter. The employee was told to investigate the property and check on the meter. The employee checked on the meter, and observed that the meter had been pulled off. The inner wires were exposed, and two metal nails were placed in the exposed area so that electricity would be provided for the residence. The electricity was shut off on July 25, 2017, and the listed owner of the property was Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation. The employee observed an outside light bulb on the residence that was on, and contacted the Sheriff’s Department.

Police assisted SMECO while they worked to completely shut power off to the residence. While they were working, an officer heard someone talking inside the residence. Police gave a command for that person to exit the residence. The side door opened and James Leroy Thomas Jr., 50, of Waldorf, stepped out. Thomas was detained by police. The residence was searched further and Anthony Ray Foks, 32, of Waldorf, was found in a back bedroom, where a TV was on, and police detained Foks at that time.

Thomas stated that he started living with Foks after being kicked out of his house by his wife. Thomas said he was legally there and was served a paper that told him he had until 10/08/2017 to be there. Thomas said he and Ray were the only ones that lived at the residence but he did not know anything about the electricity despite having an electric guitar resting on his bed with the amplifier next to it plugged up.

Foks stated that his step-father allowed him to live there with his girlfriend, and he was allowed to live there until 10/08/2017, he said a police officer served him a paper in that regard the previous week. Police asked Fok about the electric meter being tampered with but he said he did not know anything about that. Police told Fok that his TV was on when they removed him from the residence, so he should have known something about it. Fok revised his statement and said that someone tampered with the electric box but he does not know who.

James Leroy Thomas Jr. and Anthony Ray Foks, were arrested and charged with burglary and tampering with an electric company meter

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