Metal thefts continue to plague Union County, but the Union County Sheriff’s Office is attempting a cure through a treatment program of arrests.

Sheriff David Taylor announced Sunday that six people were arrested Friday in connection with a series of burglaries and metal thefts in recent weeks.

Bryan Scott Wade, 38, 233 Monroe St., Union, and John Anthony Stafford, 23, 107 Wallace St., Union, are each charged by the sheriff’s office with burglary third-degree, grand larceny and petit larceny. Taylor said the burglary third-degree and grand larceny charges stem from a break-in at D&D Specialities while the petit larceny charges stems from the theft of two carts from the Dollar General store in Jonesville. He said a juvenile is also charged with petit larceny in the Dollar General incident.

Taylor said Samuel John Inman, 41, 209 Hancock St., Union, Cynthia Zala Lawter, 47, 209 Hancock St., Union, and Nicholas Bruce Bevis, 27, 302 Spring St., Union, are each charged with burglary third-degree and grand larceny in connection with separate break-ins at D&D Specialties. He said Lawter is also charged with burglary second-degree and petit larceny stemming from a break-in at Morningside Baptist Church. Taylor said Bevis is also charged with burglary third-degree and petit larceny in connection with a break-in at Buffalo Salvage. He said Bevis is also charged with nine counts of unlawful transportation of more than 25 lbs of nonferrous metal.

In announcing the arrests, Taylor praised the investigators and the county code enforcement officer who solved the burglaries.

“We continue to fight scrap metal and copper thefts on a weekly basis, it is a continuing problem that seems to be getting worse,” Taylor said. “Hopefully the court system will put some of the repeat offenders in prison.”

Taylor said more arrests are expected in the cases.