Phoenix police arrested a department of water employee suspected of stealing about half a million dollars worth of copper wiring.

Working on a tip, investigators said they followed Guadalupe Rincon back in August as he reportedly placed a city work order for three pallets of copper wire worth $26,000. 

The police report shows he then drove it to a scrap yard and tried to sell it. The city fired him.

Police arrested Rincon Tuesday, after further investigations linked Rincon to a string of similar transactions between July and August of 2015.

Rincon is charged with more than 50 counts of alleged theft, forgery and fraud schemes.