The $200,000 Hustle
For Nick White, stripping copper wasn’t just a side gig; it was a full-time profession. He and his crew would pack lunches and head out to work just like any other laborer, targeting power lines and abandoned coal mines across West Virginia. They used specialized tools like long PVC pipes taped to tree pruners to pop ground wires off power poles right from the back of a truck. The scale of the operation was massive, with the group scrapping an estimated $200,000 worth of metal over the course of several months. At their peak, they were bringing in so much product that scrap yard employees would meet them with forklifts to unload the haul.
“We turned in about $200,000 worth of copper. When they seen us pulling in, they would come out with the forklift because we were bringing tons.”
The Heavy Price of the Game
The lifestyle eventually took a devastating toll that went far beyond legal charges. Nick lost his best friend, a man nicknamed Bubby, who was electrocuted while trying to scrap pieces from a belt line near Route 85. Beyond the loss of friends, Nick faced a heartbreaking situation with his own family. Due to a misunderstanding of legal terminology during a CPS case, he signed away his parental rights. He believed the word relinquish meant he was being given more time to get his life together, and he didn’t realize until it was too late that he had legally given up his children.
“I had no idea what relinquish meant. She was like, ‘It will give you more time to get things straight.’ I didn’t know I was signing my rights over.”
Redemption and the Road Back
Now two years into recovery, Nick is rebuilding everything from the ground up. Through the help of drug court in Boone County and a sober living community, he has achieved milestones that seemed impossible during his years of active addiction. For the first time in 45 years, he finally has a valid driver’s license and a vehicle that is fully legal and inspected. Most importantly, he has reconnected with his sons. Instead of chasing copper in the mountains, he recently spent seven hours on a riverbank fishing with his boys, a simple moment that represents his total transformation.
“I’ve never been legal in 45 years. I’ve had many vehicles, but I never had one that was legal.”
Want to hear the full, unfiltered story of Nick’s journey from the coal mines to recovery? You can hear every detail of his story by watching the original video from Creepalachia.
