Nassau County Police Lt. Ray Cote said Wednesday the thieves were caught in the act after neighbors saw them carve up the aluminum poles with a cordless power tool and stash the pieces in a van.
Police say John Baumann and Stephen Freitas have been charged with fourth-degree grand larceny. A spokesman for Nassau County prosecutors says Freitas has been released on his own recognizance, and Baumann's bond has been set at $50,000 or $25,000 cash.
Their lawyers' names could not immediately be determined.
Cote says the government pays about $1,000 for a light pole, while thieves can get only about $150 apiece by selling the poles for scrap metal.
