STERLING, Va., July 7 — The copper thieves come at night, stripping wire from sprawling AI data center construction sites that dot the Loudoun County landscape. By morning, project managers discover the damage: severed cables, missing grounding wire, and another delay in the race to build out the world’s largest data center market. Sheriff Mike Chapman, who has led the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office since 2016, created a task force in 2024 specifically to target this wave of metal theft.
Two arrests came in April 2024, when deputies charged suspects with grand larceny for stealing copper from a site in Sterling. The task force represents a targeted response to a problem that shows no signs of slowing.
Loudoun County is home to over 300 data centers, with another 20 under construction in 2024. The county reported eight copper theft incidents at those construction sites in just the first half of that year. The scale of the industry is staggering — the data center sector contributed $1.4 billion in tax revenue to Loudoun County in 2023 alone.
A target-rich environment
The construction sites are vulnerable by design. Miles of exposed copper cable sit unguarded overnight, waiting for installation. Thieves cut and haul it away, often selling the metal to scrap yards for cash.
Chapman’s office has seen a 20% increase in property crime investigations tied to construction sites since he took office. The sheriff has pushed beyond local enforcement.
He testified before the Virginia General Assembly in 2024, advocating for state legislation that would require scrap metal dealers to report their purchases. The idea is straightforward: create a paper trail that makes it harder for thieves to sell stolen copper anonymously. Chapman’s office coordinates with the FBI and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, a trade group that represents recyclers.
The partnerships aim to close the gap between law enforcement and the scrap market, where stolen metal often disappears into legitimate supply chains.
The AI building boom
The thefts come at a moment of explosive growth. AI data centers require massive amounts of copper for power distribution and networking infrastructure. The construction sites in Loudoun County stretch for acres, with building materials and wiring staged in the open.
Residents describe the scene as a construction zone that never sleeps — until the thieves arrive. The copper market itself drives the crime.
Prices remain high enough that a few hundred pounds of wire can net thousands of dollars on the black market. The task force’s two arrests in April 2024 sent a message, but the office acknowledges the problem is persistent. Chapman’s advocacy for scrap metal reporting requirements puts him at the center of a broader debate in Virginia.
Law enforcement wants transparency in the scrap trade; dealers worry about regulatory burdens. The General Assembly has yet to pass the legislation Chapman supports.
What comes next
By nightfall, security guards patrol the data center sites, but the scale of the construction makes total coverage impossible. The sheriff’s office continues to investigate, working with the FBI on cases that cross jurisdictional lines. The task force remains active, and Chapman has made clear that copper theft is a priority for his department.
The data center industry shows no signs of slowing its expansion in Loudoun County. With more construction comes more opportunity for theft, and the sheriff’s office is racing to stay ahead.
The scrap metal legislation, if it passes, could give investigators a new tool. For now, the task force relies on patrols, tips, and the occasional arrest to protect the county’s most valuable construction sites.
