A 53-year-old Bridgetown man appeared in the Bridgetown Magistrates Court on Thursday morning to face over 100 charges dating back to December 2010.
Bridgetown police officer conducting the investigation allege the man committed 15 counts of trespass, 14 counts of burglary and 39 counts of stealing by entering rural, commercial and residential properties without consent over a three year period.
While doing so, they claim he removed power tools, hand tools, copper, aluminium, brass and other valuable scrap items.
It is further alleged that over the same period he conducted 26 fraudulent transactions at scrap metal dealers between Bunbury and Rockingham, trading as a business that he had no authority to act on behalf of.
Furthermore, it will be alleged that other items that he traded in over the last 12 months were not lawfully obtained and as result he is charged with six counts of unlawful possession.
In unrelated matters, he also faced charges for reckless driving, trespass and threats relating to an incident on May Road, Bridgetown on February 28, 2015 and disorderly behaviour for an incident on Hampton Street Bridgetown on March 16, 2015.
Bridgetown police officer-in-charge Sergeant Daniel Fenton said officers began an investigation into the thefts of large quantities of used car batteries in December 2014.
"In the course of the inquiries into the trade of batteries at scrap metal dealers, further information was obtained that enabled us to expand our investigations to include Boyup Brook, Balingup, and Donnybrook," Sergeant Fenton said.
"We identified about 35 victims of stealing since 2010, who collectively have had over $36,000 worth of items stolen.
“In addition we have been able to identify that a large number of transactions conducted by the accused, were fraudulent, and allowed the accused to benefit in nearly $8,000 worth of payments.
“The communities of the Lower South West have been subject to widespread thefts over a number of years.
"I have already spoken to a number of victims, and they have an immense sense of relief that an offender has been identified, arrested and charged.
"These communities can hopefully sleep at little bit easier at night now.”
