SALT LAKE CITY — Newly unsealed warrants issued by the Utah Attorney General’s Office show several pawn shops along the Wasatch front were buying stolen goods and in some cases simply removing store security devices still on them.
An undercover investigation was launched in March following complaints from Home Depot that items were walking off their shelves and being fenced at local pawn shops.
Investigators from the Utah Attorney General’s office sent agents to sell items provided by the Home Depot to the accused shops. They say very little questions were asked as to the origin of the items.
Investigators say some of the pawn shops would buy things like power tools, kitchen appliances, and sporting goods in its original packaging, and in a couple of cases employees simply removed security tags.
In all, warrants were severed to stores in Kearns, Lindon, Riverton, Salt Lake City, and West Valley City.
Undercover investigators sold 43 items to one company that runs four pawn shops and 25 to another that own two shops.