9 arrested in multi-million dollar retail theft ring tied to South Florida pawn shops, authorities say

Broward Sheriff s Office detectives say a group of pawn shop employees carried out a multi-year racketeering operation that led to millions of dollars in losses for major retailers across Florida Seven subjects were arrested Tuesday as part of the examination into U S Pawn which has storefronts and warehouses in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale Two others were previously arrested Detectives say the persons paid thieves often referred to as boosters for stolen merchandise including over-the-counter medications electronics tools and healthcare and beauty products A multitude of items were still in sealed boxes from stores such as CVS Walgreens Publix Home Depot and Walmart The goods were then resold on online marketplaces The assessment began in and revealed a coordinated scheme allegedly orchestrated by U S Pawn owner Igor Melomed and carried out with the help of employees The criminal operation extended beyond Broward County and impacted retailers statewide according to investigators In December detectives served search warrants at two U S Pawn locations in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale seizing more than pallets of stolen merchandise valued at over BSO reported According to BSO several boosters made multiple transactions of stolen goods in a single day underscoring the extent of the organized retail theft Those arrested Tuesday face charges including racketeering and dealing in stolen property The review remains ongoing Arrestees and charges Igor Melomed count of racketeering Marie Turene count of racketeering count of dealing in stolen property William LaCroix count of racketeering Lyndon Johnson count of racketeering counts of dealing in stolen property Edward Ibragimov count of racketeering Kevin Gilyard count of racketeering count of dealing in stolen property Luis Bustos Diaz count of racketeering Natalia Kudelina count of dealing in stolen property Natalia Khodyreva counts of dealing in stolen property BSO revealed that retailers worked closely with leadership throughout the three-year scrutiny