Warrants served at pawn shops and warehouse in alleged stolen property probe

Folcroft, Pa. (WTXF) - Only FOX 29 cameras were there when investigators from the state attorney general's office executed search warrants Thursday looking for evidence in a wide-sweeping, multi-million dollar scheme involving local pawn shops.

"Pretty quiet around here so when you see that. Everybody's gonna buzz around try to find out what's going on," said Bob Collins outside a warehouse that was raided in Folcroft.

Collins works a few doors away from the Folcroft warehouse where investigators spent hours searching the building. They hauled away everything from a Craftsman air compressor to bicycles and electric heaters. Some of the items were in Home Depot boxes.

"All the employees that work there were standing out front, all gathered around, all talking about it," Collins told FOX 29.

Sources say investigators were looking for items shipped here from half a dozen pawn shops in three counties, including Bucks, Delaware and Philadelphia. FOX 29 cameras caught a team of investigators at the Darby Pawn Shop in Collingdale as they poured over the contents of the shop.

"Like surprised that's something going on and I might lose my stuff in the pawn shop. I don't want to lose it," said Bill Kennedy, a customer here.

"Concerned? Well, it's not fun. Any idea what they're taking," said an employee at the Aston Pawn Shop.

At the Aston Pawn Shop, employees stood outside, tight-lipped saying little about the raid. They told us they hadn't even seen the search warrant.

"No thanks," said one employee. "You don't know what it's about," we asked."No idea." You see the search warrant. Nope."

Sources say investigators believe the alleged stolen items stored here are being offered for sale online. According to sources, investigators tracked items stolen from big box stores like Home Depot and Walmart.
They believe heroin addicts have been stealing many of those items, such as power tools and selling them to the pawn shops to support their drug use.

"They bring it here to sell to him, but usually he don't buy stolen stuff. He always asks you for an ID and your social security card," Kennedy said.

A spokesman for the state attorney general's office refused to comment saying he was forbidden to do so by law. Sources say charges could include conspiracy, money laundering, receiving stolen property and corrupt organizations. No charges have been filed at this time.