Much of the Merchandise was Shoplifted From Area Chain Stores
PHILADELPHIA. – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Larry Leonard, 60, and Nathaniel “Nat” Leonard, 68, both of Philadelphia, Pa., were charged by indictment with conspiracy to transport and sell stolen goods in interstate commerce and interstate transportation of stolen property. Larry Leonard was also charged with money laundering.
The defendants, who are cousins, jointly ran three pawn shops: Society Hill Loan and K&A Money Loan Pawnbrokers (“K&A”), both in Philadelphia, and Lou’s Jewelry and Pawnshop (“Lou’s Jewelry”) in Wilmington, Delaware.
Larry Leonard controlled the day-to-day operations of K&A and oversaw the day-to-day operations of Lou’s Jewelry, and Nat Leonard controlled the day-to-day operations of Society Hill Loan.
The indictment alleges that the defendants were using their businesses to buy and sell large volumes of new, stolen, in-box merchandise supplied by two main groups of people.
The first group, known colloquially as “boosters,” collectively stole millions of dollars of new retail merchandise from retailers in the Philadelphia and Delaware region, and elsewhere, including from The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, CVS, Rite Aid, Safeway, and others, which the boosters then sold to the Leonards’ pawn shops for cash.
The other group, referred to by the defendants as “mooks,” collectively stole millions of dollars of new retail merchandise from across the United States, which the “mooks” then resold in bulk quantities to the defendants and other pawn shop employees for cash on a recurring basis.
The defendants are alleged to have transferred the stolen goods from Lou’s Jewelry in Delaware and K&A in the Kensington section of Philadelphia to Society Hill Loan in South Philadelphia, where the defendants listed the stolen merchandise for sale via the Society Hill Loan eBay site, which they controlled.
From November 2019 through December 2023, the Leonards are alleged to have sold more than $19 million in stolen merchandise via their eBay site. The defendants are alleged to have shipped the stolen merchandise from Society Hill Loan in Philadelphia to customers across the country.
Larry Leonard is also charged with three counts of money laundering for using the proceeds of the illegal sale of stolen merchandise to pay off more than $120,000 in credit card bills from December 2022 through April 2023.
If convicted, Larry Leonard faces a maximum possible sentence of 45 years’ imprisonment and Nathaniel Leonard faces a maximum possible sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS, Delaware State Police, and the Philadelphia Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew T. Newcomer and S. Chandler Harris.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
