An Ocala man was arrested Tuesday, November 10, after Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies investigated the theft of electrical wiring from 29 homes under construction in a residential development.
Lane Matthew Speegle, 25, faces multiple felony charges, including burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft, trespassing on a posted construction site and dealing in stolen property, according to two related arrest affidavits.
The investigation began after representatives of Colen Built, a residential developer, discovered electrical wiring had been cut from 29 homes under construction along SW 76th Lane in Ocala.
Alan Hart, who works in community and safety for the development, provided investigators with surveillance footage showing a man entering one of the unfinished homes on November 7.
According to the affidavits, the man, later identified as Speegle, was recorded entering a residence at 7864 SW 76th Lane around 6:42 p.m. He was described as having long hair and wearing shorts, a T-shirt, gloves and a backward baseball cap.
Additional surveillance footage from November 9 showed Speegle at another home under construction at 7863 SW 76th Lane, where investigators reported seeing him pulling on electrical wiring intended to connect to an air conditioning unit. Deputies also observed what appeared to be wire-cutting tools protruding from his back pocket.
Investigators identified Speegle after a construction employee reported previously recording the license plate of a suspicious vehicle entering the development. The vehicle, a beige 2010 Toyota Camry, was connected to Speegle through previous law enforcement interactions.
Deputies located Speegle at his mother’s residence on SW 80th Place, where he was questioned about his visits to the construction site.
Speegle initially told investigators he had visited the development several times to collect discarded metal and wiring from construction dumpsters. He claimed he obtained permission from workers before entering the property and denied stealing wiring from the homes.
When questioned about whether his fingerprints or DNA might be found inside the unfinished residences, Speegle initially denied entering any of the homes. He later acknowledged going inside but maintained he had only done so to speak with construction workers.
Speegle also initially told deputies he had remained home after work on November 9, before changing his account and acknowledging he had returned to the development around 6 p.m. to collect scrap materials.
During a second interview at the Sheriff’s Office South Multi-District facility, Speegle admitted to repeatedly visiting homes within the development over approximately two weeks and cutting sections of electrical wiring, according to the affidavits.
He told investigators he typically removed about a foot of wiring from areas intended to connect indoor air conditioning equipment to exterior units.
Speegle reportedly admitted to cutting wiring from one or two homes per night, telling investigators he had not removed wiring from all 29 residences in a single evening.
He also acknowledged taking the stolen wiring to Mark’s Recycling on South Pine Avenue in Ocala.
During the investigation, Detective M. Bowling visited Speegle’s residence on NW 30th Avenue and observed several containers holding assorted electrical wiring. The materials included a large gray garbage can containing various types of wire, a blue spool beneath the porch and a brown tote containing blue and green wiring.
The affidavits do not specify the total value of the stolen wiring or the estimated cost of repairs to the affected homes.
Speegle was arrested November 10 at approximately 4 p.m.
Two separate arrest affidavits were filed in connection with incidents involving neighboring residences at 7863 and 7864 SW 76th Lane. Each lists four felony charges: trespassing on a posted construction site, burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft from a dwelling involving property valued between $100 and $750, and dealing in stolen property.
The arrest documents list Speegle as being held without bond at the time the reports were prepared.
