Maryland Deputy Catches Thief Using Business Card

WESTERNPORT, Md. (AP) -- An Allegany County Sheriff deputy's hidden business card helped catch a man accused of stealing copper pipes from a vacant home.

The Cumberland Times-News reports the deputy was investigating a theft complaint at a home on Maryland Avenue in Westernport and found three bundles of stolen copper outside. The suspect apparently fled before taking the pipe. One bundle was taken to check for fingerprints. Two other bundles were left behind with the deputy's business card tucked inside.

The deputy contacted local salvage yards and asked them to look out for the bundles. An employee later contacted the deputy after receiving some pipes. The employee was told to look for the business card, which he found.

That led to the arrest of 24-year-old Blake Edward Cronk of Westernport.

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