Pawn shop owner and employee facing charges after allegedly buying, selling stolen goods

GOFFSTOWN, NH (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A New Hampshire pawn shop owner and his employee are facing criminal charges after police said they knowingly bought and sold stolen goods.

Police raided EZ Computer & iPhone Repair stores in Goffstown and Concord on Tuesday afternoon after an investigation that lasted several months and crossed through at least three cities in the Granite State.

"If you had items that you needed to get rid of for quick cash, Goffstown was the place to bring them, and specifically EZ Computer & IPhone Repair," Sgt. Kerry Steckowych with Goffstown Police told FOX25.

Police charged the stores' owner, Kyle Perkins, with purchasing an iPhone, computer equipment, and firearm that were all recently reported stolen.
Another employee, Chad Fennessey was also arrested during the raids.

Co-owner Tim Loughlin defended his business after the arrests, telling FOX25 the allegations were blown out of proportion.

"They're making it to be like we're the only pawn shop that takes, buys things, which we're not," Loughlin said.

Loughlin said most of the store's revenue is generated from its iPhone and tablet repair business, and that his employees did properly document items they purchased for pawn.

"We still turn down customers, if something comes in and the customers seems sketchy or something's wrong," Loughlin said.

Goffstown Police noted part of what made their city so lucrative to potential criminals is that Goffstown did not have any ordinances or regulations for pawn shops until Sept. 1 of this year. Now officials have enacted stiff regulations that include videotaping each transaction, photocopying sellers' IDs, and cataloging all items for law enforcement.

"The catalyst for us doing that was hearing the stories and seeing the high traffic of volume going in and out of [EZ Computer & iPhone Repair]," Sgt. Steckowych said.

Loughlin admitted that it was possible his employees had purchased stolen goods, but maintains if so, it was without intent or knowledge.

"It's hard to tell, there's no way to say whether it's stolen or not," Loughlin said.

Fennessey will face a judge in October; Perkins will appear in court in December.

Cox Media Group