Rochester pawn shop owner Devin Tribunella pleads guilty in a stolen goods resale scheme. Tribunella reportedly paid drug addicted “boosters” to steal merchandise from retailers that he would later resell.
Tribunella owned Dewey Avenue-based business Royal Crown Pawn & Jewelry. Prosecutors say he and one of his employees, Wade Shadders, gave people lists of items to snag from stores like Lowes, Home Depot, Target, and Walmart. Tribunella then sold the stolen items as marked “New” through eBay, according to Rochester First.
Tribunella reportedly made $3.2 million in eBay sales from January 2017 to November 2019, selling to buyers outside of New York. He plead guilty guilty to transportation of stolen goods in interstate commerce, which comes with a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine.
Terms of his plea include forfeiting over $200,000 cash and a requested $1.6 million money judgment. In addition, he will forfeit four luxury vehicles.
Tribunella and Shadders are two of five people arrested in 2019 in connection with the scheme. Shadders has been convicted but not yet sentenced. The trial for Tribunella is scheduled for April 19, 2022.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected]