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Owner of National Pawn in Kansas City admits to selling over 14K stolen items on eBay

Prison Bars
Posted at 2:24 PM, Mar 24, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-24 15:25:11-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The owner of a pawn shop in Kansas City, Missouri, admitted to participating in a scheme that involved selling over 14,000 stolen items on eBay.

Dennis G. Russell, 65, is the owner of National Pawn located at 6223 E. Truman Road.

According to court documents, as part of the scheme, thieves known as "boosters" stole items from several retails stores including Target, Walmart, Home Depot and Lowe's, among others.

They then sold the stolen merchandise to Russell at a discounted price.

Investigators discovered Russell then posted the products on eBay on two different accounts and then shipped them out of state.

From Jan. 1, 2017, to July 27, 2021, Russell shipped 14,672 stolen items and made $744,222.

On Oct. 21, 2021, law enforcement officers raided National Pawn and seized 3,400 stolen items.

Russell pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines.

He is one of two members on the board of directors of Rison of KC Inc., which does business at National Pawn.

Rison of KC Inc. is charged with the same crime as Russell, and entered a deferred prosecution agreement.

Russell must forfeit any property he received during the scheme, including all of the profit he made.

He will be sentenced at a later date. Russell faces up to five years in prison.