It took over four years to bring the case to an arrest, but Ontario County Sheriff’s  Investigators finally got their man.

Back between October 24th, 2011 until November 3, 2011, the Ontario & Trumansburg Telephone Company reported the theft of copper grounding cable from a fenced in area off Route 96 in the Town of Phelps. An inventory discovered the loss value at $14,832.82.

Luckily, the thief left behind some evidence in the form of DNA at the site. More luck came with the fact that the thief had been arrested before and his DNA was on file.

Unluckily, the backlog of DNA processing at the CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) and at the Monroe County Crime lab, allowed the perpetrator to enjoy his freedom for an extended period after the actual crime.

The Ontario County Sheriff’s Office finally got the hit that identified the thief in August of 2014. Then the investigators had to locate the moving individual.

On Friday (3/15), the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office reported the arrest of Douglas C. Aucter, age 56, of 111 West Myrtle Street in Newark for grand larceny in the 3rd Degree. He was located at a girlfriend’s house.  

Aucter was arraigned and remanded to the Ontario County Jail on No bail due to his previous criminal history. He is scheduled to appear in a preliminary hearing in Phelps Town Court.