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Former Escambia Pawn Broker Convicted $900K Theft Case
August 10, 2012
A federal jury has convicted an Escambia County man for his involvement with nearly a million dollars stolen in jewelry and heavy equipment.
Following a three day trial, Benjamin Dean Garrett, 41, was convicted of conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce and interstate transportation of stolen property.
During the trial, the government proved that on February 1, 2008, Garrett, former co-owner of Sam’s Pawn Shop, lured a longtime Pensacola native from her home to his pawn shop, while his accomplices in a stolen property ring burglarized the victim’s home and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry. Garrett had known the
victim, age 85, for years, and she had purchased jewelry at Garrett’s pawn shop.
The plan called for Garrett to sell the jewelry to individuals outside the Pensacola area, from New York to South Florida. A portion of the victim’s jewelry was recovered in June 2008 at a pawn shop in Ashville, North Carolina. Thereafter, an additional quantity of the victim’s jewelry was recovered in Alabama. Of the estimated $600,000 worth of jewelry stolen in 2008, only about a third was ever recovered.
The investigation into the stolen property ring was originally initiated by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, when multiple items of heavy equipment were reported stolen in the Northern District of Florida.
During the late fall of 2007, a break in the case came when one of those involved in the thefts began cooperating with law enforcement.
All total, about $300,000 worth of heavy equipment was stolen from victims in the Northern District of Florida and Alabama. Once the property was stolen, the members of the ring transported the property across the Florida/Alabama border, so that the property could be sold in the opposite state.
Comments
10 Responses to “Former Escambia Pawn Broker Convicted $900K Theft Case”
Yes he was set up, temptation was put before him and he yielded to it, betraying an elderly friend and cutomer, because she was weak and easy prey.
Mr Garrett is fixing to learn first hand about predators and prey.
So he shouldn’t have to do jail time because there are worse criminals out there? Really? A criminal is a criminal, some are just more reprehensible than others. As for the wife and children, there are innocent victims in all crimes, but don’t blame the public for thinking poorly of your husband or father because he obviously didn’t mind jeopardizing his freedom or your way of life when he was stealing from someone else’s mother and wife…
I agree with thinktwice. I know him and the others involved. He is a good guy the others are crooks. They set him up thats why he was the only one who went to trial to fight for his innocence. Sad thing is in Federal Court you always lose.
@Charlie F
I indeed did mean “preying” not “praying”. Thanks for bringing that to my tired attention.
Maybe you don’t know the whole truth of what happened, ever heard the saying believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see ? Maybe you should think twice before saying negative things about someone you don’t even know. Does his wife and children deserve losing their husband and daddy to jail over something he didn’t even do when their are people who have done way worse out there walking the streets free as can be. Remember what you say on here hurts other people.
SMaxon—Surely you meant “preying” with an “e”, not an “a’. I don’t believe he said a prayer or did any praying for that poor victim.
Praying off the elderly..may you spend many,many years in prison thinking about what you did to this little old lady.
I hope you half to serve every day of your term and I hope they catch all involved in this ,I know this sweet old lady and I new her husband they were boyh very hard workers Maybe HELL will freez over before you get out.
Hope they all get long jail time!
What a looser, taking advantage of an 85 year old “friend” and ripping off hard working folks of their assets in equipment, which means them not being able to take on jobs and means the equipment operator looses a job.
I glad you’re busted, though I hate that tax payers will be paying as much to keep your sorry self in jail per year as could be used to make improvements or probably feed ten families a year.
What a waste for everyone.