Nine individuals have been taken into custody as part of an investigation into a massive retail theft ring in South Florida, tied to local pawn shops, and costing major retailers across the state millions of dollars. According to WSVN, Broward Sheriff's Office detectives identified a group of workers at U.S. Pawn, with locations in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale, as key players in the operation that spanned several years.
The scheme involved the pawn shop paying "boosters," individuals who would steal items from stores like CVS, Walgreens, and Home Depot, and then resold them online. The investigation, which commenced in 2022, led to the December 2023 raid of two pawn shop locations where detectives seized over 50 pallets of stolen goods valued at over $750,000. "It was quite the operation, very lucrative unfortunately," BSO Sgt. Rich Rossman said in a statement obtained by NBC Miami.
The owner of U.S. Pawn, Igor Melomed, age 46, has been named as the orchestrator of this retail theft syndicate. Authorities announced that Melomed was among the seven arrested on charges including racketeering and dealing in stolen property. The total number of arrests connected to this case has reached nine, as two other employees were previously apprehended. The boosters frequently conducted multiple transactions in a single day, highlighting the sheer volume of crime taking place.
Stores impacted by the thefts include well-known names like Walmart and Publix, with both storefronts and warehouses being used to house the stolen merchandise. During one of the raids, detectives found the situation so frantic, "They would close the door because they couldn’t accept any more customers because there was so much product all over the counters. They would bring it in trash bags, wheel it up in wagons," Rossman detailed in an interview with NBC Miami. Those arrested face varying charges, with the majority being held for racketeering while others have been charged for dealing in stolen property.
The Broward Sheriff's Office has indicated that retailers were closely involved in aiding authorities during the three-year-long probe. The BSO stated that the probe is still ongoing.
