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Ohio Leads US in Claims for Metal Thefts

A new report says Ohio leads the nation in insurance claims for metal thefts.

A National Insurance Crime Bureau report released Wednesday showed Ohio filed 3,228 claims from 2010 through 2012. That's 23 percent more than second-place Texas.

The numbers don't necessarily mean there are more metal thefts in Ohio, only that businesses and homeowners file more claims in the state. The Columbus Dispatch reported that Ohio insurance officials say they're not sure why more claims are filed in the state.

Metal theft has been increasing across the country. The thefts mostly involve stealing copper wiring and piping from homes and businesses. Thieves have stripped sheets of metal from rooftops, ripped apart air conditioners for the copper coils and stolen cemetery decorations. The pieces are then sold for scrap.

     
 

Stories from the Associated Press.