Leonardtown Man Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail for Series of Copper Thefts from Lowe’s

Zachary Lee Pratz, 29, of Leonardtown, was sentenced on May 29, 2025, in the District Court for St. Mary’s County after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor theft scheme involving repeated shoplifting of copper plumbing fittings from the Lowe’s Home Improvement store located on Worth Avenue in California, Maryland.

According to court records and the application for statement of charges, filed by Cpl. D. Reppel of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office,

Pratz was involved in six separate incidents of theft between January 14, 2025, and February 27, 2025. These incidents were confirmed through store surveillance and loss prevention staff.

On February 27, 2025, Cpl. Reppel responded to Lowe’s for a theft report. A Loss Prevention employee reported that a white male wearing a tan jacket had placed numerous copper plumbing fittings into his pockets and walked past all points of sale without paying.

The suspect was stopped by the employee, and 58 copper fittings valued at $563.32 were recovered from his person. The employee identified the suspect as Zachary Lee Pratz, and Cpl. Reppel confirmed his identity using a Maryland driver’s license.

Pratz was issued a criminal citation for that incident. Cpl. Reppel later reviewed surveillance footage from five prior thefts also believed to involve Pratz and stated, “I reviewed still photos of the thefts and positively identified the defendant as the person in the photos involved with the thefts.”

Details of the earlier incidents are as follows:

• January 14, 2025: Pratz, wearing a tan coat and dark pants, allegedly took 15 copper fittings valued at $176.20.
• January 27, 2025: Wearing a tan/brown plaid jacket and dark pants, he allegedly took 10 copper fittings valued at $206.50
• February 1, 2025: In a black long sleeve shirt and cargo pants, he allegedly stole fittings valued at $208.56. Later that day, he returned and allegedly stole more fittings worth $204.07
• February 10, 2025: Wearing a tan coat and tan pants, he allegedly stole fittings valued at $131.27.

The total estimated value of all stolen items was $1,495.92, and Pratz was ultimately charged with five counts of theft between $100 and $1,500 and one count of theft scheme under $1,500.

The criminal summons was issued on March 8, 2025, and served on April 8, 2025. Pratz appeared for a preliminary inquiry on April 18, 2025, and later entered a guilty plea in court on May 29, 2025, before Judge Karen Christy Holt Chesser.

He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with 150 days suspended, and ordered to serve 30 days of active incarceration. He will also be under 18 months of supervised probation and must pay $382.70 in restitution as noted in the Judgment of Restitution filed the same day.

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