Deputies arrested a 40-year-old Cooper man, who appeared to be sleeping in his vehicle at the roadside following what is believed to be a crime spree involving mail theft and a home burglary. The arrest marked the third time the man has been booked into Hopkins County jail in the last five months.
Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office Communications Operators advised deputies of a report of a suspicious vehicle near a County Road 1187 residence around 6:40 p.m. Dec. 23. Deputies responded. Deputy Bobby Osornio located a Honda Pilot at the location.
Osornio contacted the driver and sole occupant, Michael Leslie Copeland, who appeared to the deputy to be sleeping in the driver’s seat. Osornio asked Copeland to exit the SUV. Copeland attempted to comply the deputy noticed the vehicle was in gear and was moving, so he ordered Copeland to put it in park, then get out. He did, according to arrest reports.
Copeland claimed he was resting in the road after leaving a County Road 1190 residence, where he used to live. He claimed he had yet to change his mailing address so he was just checking the mail box for mail, Osornio alleged in arrest reports.
Seeing several open containers in the vehicle, Osornio searched the silver vehicle. Three debit cards that did not belong to Copeland and multiple articles of mail from multiple addresses on CR 1190 were located, Osornio wrote in arrest reports.
Copeland was taken into custody for mail theft and fraudulent use or possession of credit/debit card information. The vehicle was inventories and impounded. On the way to the jail, Copeland allegedly continuously struck his forehead on the cage in Osornio’s patrol vehicle, causing a gash on his right eyebrow. After being treated for injuries, Copeland was booked into Hopkins County jail.
Meanwhile, upon learning details of the incident, HCSO Sgt. Scott Davis began checking the area for anything amiss. Davis located an open door on a vehicle at the address where he claimed to have previously lived. The vehicle appeared to have been rummaged through, the front door of the residence appeared to have been forced open, a window unit appeared to be missing and the inside of the residence appeared to have been destroyed, Osornio and Davis alleged in arrest reports. A ladder was propped next to a window on the rear of the residence and a window unit was located in the trunk of the vehicle, according to arrest reports. Copeland was also charged with burglary of a habitation in connection with the deputies’ findings on CR 1190.
Copeland remained in Hopkins County jail Thursday morning, Dec. 24, on the fraudulent use or possession, mail theft and home burglary charges, according to jail reports.
Wednesday night was the third time Copeland has been booked into Hopkins County jail in the past five months. The 40-year-old Cooper man was also jailed overnight Aug. 4, 2020, on warrants for violating probation on Delta County family violence assault causing bodily injury and possession of marijuana charges, and violation of probation on a harassment-repeated electronic communication charge, according to jail reports. Copeland also spent the night in jail Oct. 22 for possession of drug paraphernalia, according to jail reports.
Copeland also was on probation for an Aug. 27, 2019, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon charge. He was sentenced Nov. 12, 2020, in the 8th Judicial District Court to 10 years on probation for having a firearm in his vehicle when stopped for speeding on State Highway 11 east Aug. 27, 2019.
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The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
