A Wednesday night armed violence arrest may be the final incident in a months-long Monroe County Sheriff’s Department copper theft investigation.

About 10:30 p.m. March 18 investigators with the MCSD Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Unit conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Clint A. Rogers, 56, of Imperial, Mo. 

During the stop, deputies determined the driver was operating the vehicle while his driver’s license was revoked.

A subsequent search resulted in the recovery ofa loaded 9 mm handgun and ammunition, approximately 7 grams of methamphetamine and additional drug paraphernalia.

On Thursday, Monroe County State’s Attorney Ryan Webb filed charges of  armed violence, possession of methamphetamine and felony possession of a weapon.

Rogers had been arrested Dec. 7 along with his brother Bradley C. Rogers, 37, also of Imperial, following a copper theft incident in East Carondelet.

Both, were charged with felony theft (value between $500 and $10,000) for allegedly stealing a spool of copper wire belonging to AT&T. The wire was on a trailer near BB Road south of East Carondelet, 

Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing added Bradley was also charged with resisting a police officer for allegedly hiding in a closet to avoid arrest on Dec. 7. 

Clint was also charged with obstructing justice for providing false information about Bradley to prevent his apprehension. Clint was also charged with unlawful possession of an incomplete vehicle title certificate, a Class 3 felony, and driving while license revoked. 

At the time, Clint had an active felony warrant Form Jefferson County, Mo., for possession of a controlled substance.

Following Wednesday’s arrest, Clint remains in custody at Monroe County Jail.

Bradley had been released with pretrial conditions following the Dec. 7 incident, although he was later taken into custody in Missouri and is currently serving time within the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Also charged in the December theft was David J. Shaw, 42, formerly of High Ridge, Mo., who was released from custody and transferred to the Clinton County Sheriff’s Department due to an active warrant.

Shaw was located in a detached garage on the East Carondelet property. He had been staying in the garage using a generator for power and a wood-burning stove.

After a gradual increase in copper wiring thefts in the northern portion of Monroe County, investigators with the MCSD initiated a coordinated investigation alongside the Columbia Police Department and AT&T’s Security Investigations Team, whose cooperation and willingness to assist were instrumental to the success of this case.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department sends a clear message: those who come into our county to commit crimes or prey upon our residents and infrastructure will be proactively targeted, investigated, and held accountable. Deputies, investigators, and specialized units will continue to pursue offenders and follow up on all leads.

Anyone with information regarding criminal activity or suspicious behavior in Monroe County is encouraged to submit a confidential tip at monroecoilsheriff.org/report-a-tip or call the Monroe County Sheriff’s Tip Line at 618 939-TIPS (8477).