Dr. Adel Malahmeh, a successful businessman in New Iberia, owns nearly 90 buildings across Iberia Parish and the surrounding areas. Recently, he has been facing a challenging situation as his properties have become the target of theft, specifically his A/C condenser units. Over the past month, nine of his units have been stolen, causing significant financial losses and inconvenience to his business operations.
The theft of A/C units is not only impacting Malahmeh financially but also affecting the comfort of his patients and customers. The stolen units contain copper, which is valuable and often sold for scrap metal or on the black market. Thieves are causing thousands of dollars in damages by breaking into the units and stealing the copper cores. This has left Malahmeh with no choice but to replace the entire A/C systems, both inside and outside of the buildings.
Despite filing an incident report with the New Iberia Police, Malahmeh and his attorney, Frank Barber, believe that more could be done to address the ongoing issue of copper theft. The people who are buying the stolen copper are not cooperating with law enforcement to help prevent future thefts. This lack of collaboration is making it difficult for Malahmeh to protect his properties and provide a comfortable environment for his customers.
As a result of the A/C unit thefts, Malahmeh is worried about losing customers due to the lack of air conditioning in his properties. He fears that the ongoing robberies may impact his business reputation and drive customers away, especially during hot weather conditions. Malahmeh hopes that the authorities and local community can come together to address the surge of robberies and prevent further losses to his businesses.
Malahmeh’s experience highlights a growing problem in Louisiana: copper theft is becoming increasingly common as thieves look for high-value metals to sell on the black market or recycle for scrap metal profits.
To combat this issue, law enforcement agencies need to work closely with businesses like Dr. Adel Malahmeh’s to gather intelligence on potential thieves and their activities. They should also collaborate with local communities to raise awareness about copper theft prevention measures such as installing surveillance cameras or using tamper-proof materials when constructing buildings.
Ultimately, addressing copper theft requires a concerted effort from everyone involved – law enforcement agencies, businesses like Dr. Adel Malahmeh’s, and local communities working together to protect their assets and maintain their quality of life.