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VEAZIE, Maine — About 2,462 pounds of rebar, reinforced bar used in construction, was stolen from American Concrete by a former employee who sold the metal for cash, Veazie Police Chief Mark Leonard said Tuesday.

Shawn Botson, 26, who is listed as a transient, was charged last week with felony theft, refusing to submit to arrest and drug possession, the chief said.

The rebar Botson stole from the Stillwater Avenue company was found at a salvage yard, Leonard said. “He had turned it in for scrap.”

Leonard said he met Botson on July 26 when he arrived to get his last paycheck and arrested him after a brief foot chase.

A paper trail connecting the stolen metal and Botson was recovered from the salvage yard, Leonard said. He added that Botson had sold rebar to the salvage yard eight times in just over a month.

Botson was charged with a felony because of the amount of rebar stolen and the fact that he has more than two previous convictions for theft, the police chief said. “He has an extensive criminal history.”

An unknown white powder was found on Botson, and he also was charged with unlawful possession of a scheduled drug, Leonard said.

Botson was taken to the Penobscot County Jail and later released, a jail official said.

Botson, who has formerly lived in Corinth and Dover-Foxcroft, has a criminal record that dates back to when he was 15. He was convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of tobacco products by a minor, according to court listings printed in the Bangor Daily News.

Over the past several years, he also was convicted of and sentenced for theft by unauthorized taking or transfer, unlawful possession of scheduled drugs, and burglary.

If convicted of the felony theft charge from last week, Botson could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.