Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says a tip called in to his drug hotline lead his detectives to arrest 46-year-old Derek Paul and 21-year-old Malibu Smith at a home located at 20837 N. 8th Ave. in Phoenix where the two were stealing electricity.
Surveillance conducted by Sheriff’s deputies found that the home was without electrical service, however the home was occupied and people were coming and going from the home. Detectives served a search warrant and found usable quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and found that the suspects were stealing electricity from a neighboring home using wires connected from the service line of one home to the electric panel of the other home.
Paul was booked for two class 4 felonies involving drug/narcotic possession and four class 6 felony for stealing electricity. Smith was charged with two class 6 felonies drug/marijuana possession.
Sheriff Arpaio says, “This arrest and seizure is part of a crackdown by this Office against major traffickers and street level drug dealers and users.”