A Selma man has pleaded guilty in Dallas County Circuit Court to third-degree burglary related to the July 16, 2007, theft of copper from Central Alabama Packing.

Kenneth Jones, 48, entered his guilty plea before Circuit Court Judge Tommy Jones on Monday. Jones received a five-year prison sentence.

“We are going to keep locking up these copper thieves,” said District Attorney Michael Jackson. “He stole enough copper to make a sack load of pennies.”

Police records show Jones took an unknown amount of copper wire from Central Alabama Packing, located at 3104 Old Montgomery Highway, Selma, and a five-gallon bucket filled with tools, including screwdrivers, wire cutters and hammers.

Officers responded to a call of a burglary in progress. Officers found one man inside the building. Other Selma police officers discovered two others and Jones on the outside of the building. Court records showed that three of the four, including Jones, gave statements they had entered the building to steal property. Officers did not interview the fourth man because he was under the influence of drugs, according to the police report.