Ok - most of you know I work the pawn shop detail for my agency. I just cleared a burglary case last week and I must admit I am really pissed.
Here is how it goes.
In the last week of May I am notified that Playtation pawned by a lady, is reported stolen by our agency. The Playstation was reported stolen in a burglary at the end of 2008. The case is assigned to one of the investigators, who gives me the OK to follow through with this as far as I can develop the case. I place a hold on the Playstation and begin the investigation.
So I contact my victim, through a cell phone and leave a message. After several days she finally gets back with me, and tells me she does not know the person that has pawned the Playstation. I begin the follow up investigation.
The lady that pawned the Playstation has three or four addresses in our system and none of them are any good, I know, because I went to all of them to locate her and she was not at any of them. Finally, locate a good address outside of our city and send her field status card requesting she make contact with me.
Several days later she leaves me a telephone number for me to call on my answering machine. I call, make contact. I ask her about the Playstation she pawned. She tells me that it is her son's and she will pick it up next week.
I tell her - - "No you won't, this Playstation is reported stolen", and I need to know where and who you got it from.
She tells me it was given to her son by her ex-husband for the child's birthday.
So I ask her for her ex-husbands contact information, which she gives me.
He is a truck driver so he is on the road a lot. More days pass. Finally make contact with him, and ask him where he got the Playstation from.
Now my truck driver friend (?) is not interested (at first) in telling me where he got it from. He is interested if his ex-wife is in trouble for pawning a stolen Playstation and is he going to get it back? After several phone calls and visits I finally convince him:
A. His ex will not be charged - he is not pleased with this.
B. He will not be charged (if he tells me where he got it from) - he is pleased with this.
C. The Playstation is stolen, he nor his son will not get the Playstation back - he is not pleased again.
He tells me he bought the Playstation from a resale shop in my city.
I make contact with the resale shop, that fortunately keeps good records and lets me know who sold it to them.
It is significant that the Playstation was sold to the resale shop on the same day it is reported stolen.
I now have the name of the person that sold the Playstation to the resale shop on the day it was stolen, let's call him Billy Bob.
I call my victim (complainant) and ask her if she knows Billy Bob. She assures me she does know Billy Bob. I ask her is Billy Bob had access to the Playstation. She tells me that he did have access. She is happy as this Playstation is a rent to own deal and she is still paying the company so as not to ruin her standing with them.
So I tell her, OK you need to come to the station and give me a statement that Billy Bob never had permission to remove nor sell your Playstation. I will then get an arrest warrant, we will find and put Billy Bob in jail, and I will then seize your Playstation.
There is a very long pause on the telephone - - - - - "You mean he is going to jail?"
I always hate this part of the investigation. - - - "Yes, my job is to put people in jail that steal from other people - that is what I do, I am very good at my job."
She tells me she will call me back. - - I hate this part, because I know what is coming.
So in half hour she calls back. " I just want to get my Playstation back, but I do not want to file charges."
I am ready - - "OK, if you do not wish to file, then you will need to buy the Playstation back from the pawn shop. Remember my job, I put people in jail that steal from other people, I am not, I repeat NOT, a collection agency." She is not happy with me at this point.
She tells me she will have Billy Bob call you.
A half hour later Billy Bob calls me. "I hear I need to talk to you."
I assure him that indeeed he does. I need to know where he got the Playstation from.
Billy Bob comes later that afternoon. He gives me a written statement and he states that Homer Gene brought him the Playstation to sell at the resale shop because he (Homer Gene) did not have any ID to sell the Playstation.
Without going into the details, Billy Bob's story does not fly. Lot's of holes and things that just do not match up. But I take the statement and act as though he is my very best friend (He ain't).
So I call my victim, leave another message on her cell phone and wait for her to make contact. She finally does and I tell her that she really needs to come visit with me at the station.
When she comes into the office I set down the facts of the case.
1. I know who pawned your Playstation
2. I know where she got it from (her ex husband)
3. I know where he got it from (the resale shop)
4. I know where the resale shop got it from ( Billy Bob)
Now we are gettin down to deception aspects of this offense - Billy Bob says he got it from Homer Gene. I have not been able to locate Homer Gene to get his side of the story but I am just willing to bet that he will have different story from Billy Bob - call me crazy, but I don't think Homer Gene is going to confess on this deal. Remember, Billy Bob did not have a really good story.
So I ask her do you know Homer Gene. She again assures me she does.
I ask her - "Could Homer Gene be capable of stealing from you?" She tells me that he could.
So I give her the bottom line - I need a statement from her that neither Billy Bob nor Homer Gene had permission to remove the Playstation nor sell it at any resale shop. That way if push comes to shove, I will put both Billy Bob and Homer Gene in jail and let the court sort it out.
There is a real long pause - - - - and finally she states, "Can I just buy the Playstation back?"
I am expecting this and tell her "Yes you can, I will write a letter authorizing you to take possession of the Playstation but you are responsible for all charges and interest." I also tell her that she knows her situation better than I do but she is allowing one or possibly both individuals to get away with burglary.
She says she understands but is choosing to pursue this pathway to resolution.
So all my work and effort go into a exceptionally cleared burglary with no charges filed.
I am annoyed.
Here is how it goes.
In the last week of May I am notified that Playtation pawned by a lady, is reported stolen by our agency. The Playstation was reported stolen in a burglary at the end of 2008. The case is assigned to one of the investigators, who gives me the OK to follow through with this as far as I can develop the case. I place a hold on the Playstation and begin the investigation.
So I contact my victim, through a cell phone and leave a message. After several days she finally gets back with me, and tells me she does not know the person that has pawned the Playstation. I begin the follow up investigation.
The lady that pawned the Playstation has three or four addresses in our system and none of them are any good, I know, because I went to all of them to locate her and she was not at any of them. Finally, locate a good address outside of our city and send her field status card requesting she make contact with me.
Several days later she leaves me a telephone number for me to call on my answering machine. I call, make contact. I ask her about the Playstation she pawned. She tells me that it is her son's and she will pick it up next week.
I tell her - - "No you won't, this Playstation is reported stolen", and I need to know where and who you got it from.
She tells me it was given to her son by her ex-husband for the child's birthday.
So I ask her for her ex-husbands contact information, which she gives me.
He is a truck driver so he is on the road a lot. More days pass. Finally make contact with him, and ask him where he got the Playstation from.
Now my truck driver friend (?) is not interested (at first) in telling me where he got it from. He is interested if his ex-wife is in trouble for pawning a stolen Playstation and is he going to get it back? After several phone calls and visits I finally convince him:
A. His ex will not be charged - he is not pleased with this.
B. He will not be charged (if he tells me where he got it from) - he is pleased with this.
C. The Playstation is stolen, he nor his son will not get the Playstation back - he is not pleased again.
He tells me he bought the Playstation from a resale shop in my city.
I make contact with the resale shop, that fortunately keeps good records and lets me know who sold it to them.
It is significant that the Playstation was sold to the resale shop on the same day it is reported stolen.
I now have the name of the person that sold the Playstation to the resale shop on the day it was stolen, let's call him Billy Bob.
I call my victim (complainant) and ask her if she knows Billy Bob. She assures me she does know Billy Bob. I ask her is Billy Bob had access to the Playstation. She tells me that he did have access. She is happy as this Playstation is a rent to own deal and she is still paying the company so as not to ruin her standing with them.
So I tell her, OK you need to come to the station and give me a statement that Billy Bob never had permission to remove nor sell your Playstation. I will then get an arrest warrant, we will find and put Billy Bob in jail, and I will then seize your Playstation.
There is a very long pause on the telephone - - - - - "You mean he is going to jail?"
I always hate this part of the investigation. - - - "Yes, my job is to put people in jail that steal from other people - that is what I do, I am very good at my job."
She tells me she will call me back. - - I hate this part, because I know what is coming.
So in half hour she calls back. " I just want to get my Playstation back, but I do not want to file charges."
I am ready - - "OK, if you do not wish to file, then you will need to buy the Playstation back from the pawn shop. Remember my job, I put people in jail that steal from other people, I am not, I repeat NOT, a collection agency." She is not happy with me at this point.
She tells me she will have Billy Bob call you.
A half hour later Billy Bob calls me. "I hear I need to talk to you."
I assure him that indeeed he does. I need to know where he got the Playstation from.
Billy Bob comes later that afternoon. He gives me a written statement and he states that Homer Gene brought him the Playstation to sell at the resale shop because he (Homer Gene) did not have any ID to sell the Playstation.
Without going into the details, Billy Bob's story does not fly. Lot's of holes and things that just do not match up. But I take the statement and act as though he is my very best friend (He ain't).
So I call my victim, leave another message on her cell phone and wait for her to make contact. She finally does and I tell her that she really needs to come visit with me at the station.
When she comes into the office I set down the facts of the case.
1. I know who pawned your Playstation
2. I know where she got it from (her ex husband)
3. I know where he got it from (the resale shop)
4. I know where the resale shop got it from ( Billy Bob)
Now we are gettin down to deception aspects of this offense - Billy Bob says he got it from Homer Gene. I have not been able to locate Homer Gene to get his side of the story but I am just willing to bet that he will have different story from Billy Bob - call me crazy, but I don't think Homer Gene is going to confess on this deal. Remember, Billy Bob did not have a really good story.
So I ask her do you know Homer Gene. She again assures me she does.
I ask her - "Could Homer Gene be capable of stealing from you?" She tells me that he could.
So I give her the bottom line - I need a statement from her that neither Billy Bob nor Homer Gene had permission to remove the Playstation nor sell it at any resale shop. That way if push comes to shove, I will put both Billy Bob and Homer Gene in jail and let the court sort it out.
There is a real long pause - - - - and finally she states, "Can I just buy the Playstation back?"
I am expecting this and tell her "Yes you can, I will write a letter authorizing you to take possession of the Playstation but you are responsible for all charges and interest." I also tell her that she knows her situation better than I do but she is allowing one or possibly both individuals to get away with burglary.
She says she understands but is choosing to pursue this pathway to resolution.
So all my work and effort go into a exceptionally cleared burglary with no charges filed.
I am annoyed.
Justice usually finds a way 
