Several oil companies in southeast New Mexico are experiencing loss due to a group of thieves stealing copper wires.
Suspects stole almost $85,000 worth of goods from various oil drilling sites across Lea County, causing approximately $285,000 in damages.
Deputies responded from September 2025 after thieves stole copper wire from 12 transformers at six oil rigs owned by Raybaw Oil. A worker reported sighting a van in the area, which deputies believed was the same vehicle use in other thefts in the region. Authorities suspect that the group had been stealing from rigs since May.
Deputies tracked down the van’s license plate to four individuals: Joshua Lynch, Russell Poole, Autumn Bustamante, and Derwood Noble.
When they searched through the van, they found 1,500 pounds of copper wire and tools associated with the thefts. Poole and Bustamante lived together, and deputies noted that Noble often stayed with them, while Lynch had the vehicle registered under his name.
Copper wire is one of the most accessible metal on construction sites and in public infrastructure, commonly stolen for its high, rising scrap market value and easy resale for quick cash without strict, consistent tracking of its origin.