All summer long, copper thieves have been putting highway light poles out of commission by stealing the wires inside. Thieves have taken so much copper, that repairing the damage is going to cost $100,000.

Repairs are slated to begin immediately, but those repairs have been three months in the making. It's taken three months for the contractor to do an estimate and prepare for the project.

But that's also three months that the crooks have been going scott free, because transportation officials didn't file a police report until just recently.

Officials say they neglected to file a report initially but after weighing the cost of the thefts, they've decided that whoever is responsible should be prosecuted.

Lexington police are now handling the case.