'Hardcore Pawn' Stars Arrested Over Repawned Stolen Goods

While pawn shop employees are known to think twice before accepting stolen goods, two stars of "Hardcore Pawn: Chicago" were arrested for re-pawning stolen goods from their own store.

Cast members Jeremy Jackson and Karl Bell were arrested by Chicago police after the owners of Royal Pawn Shop became suspicious when merchandise went missing, according to TMZ.

Jackson and Bell were charged with felony theft.

Felony Theft

In general, theft occurs when a person takes someone else's property with the intent to permanently deprive the victim of the property. Specifically in Illinois, a person commits theft when he knowingly obtains control over the owner's property by:

• Exerting unauthorized control over the owner's property;
• Deception;
• Threats;
• Knowing that the property is stolen or under such circumstances that would reasonably induce that person to believe it was stolen.

The punishment for theft in Illinois depends on the value of the goods taken and from whom or where the property is stolen. For example, property stolen from another person that's valued at less than $500 is a Class A misdemeanor.

For Jackson and Bell, they were charged with felony theft. Although reports don't indicate what level of felony the "Hardcore Pawn" stars were charged with, TMZ reported the duo stole more than $40,000 worth of goods. Under Illinois law, theft of property exceeding $10,000, but not more than $100,000 in value is a Class 2 felony.

If convicted of a Class 2 felony, Jackson and Bell could face between three to seven years in prison.

Receiving Stolen Property

It's alleged that Jackson and Bell stole from the pawn shop they worked at and re-pawned the goods for gambling money, according to TMZ. If that's the case, then the pawn shops or employees who accepted and paid for the stolen goods could also be arrested for theft.

The Illinois theft statute includes scenarios where a person intentionally obtained property that he or she knew or had reason to believe was stolen. In other jurisdictions, this act may be known as receiving stolen property. However, it's probably not enough for a conviction if the persons who received the stolen property were merely suspicious that the goods were stolen.

The owners of Royal Pawn Shop were suspicious of Jackson and Bell because they always had money to gamble, but Bell never seemed to win and Jackson was only a part-time employee, TMZ reports.

Follow FindLaw for Consumers on Facebook and Twitter (@FindLawConsumer).

Related Resources:

• Pawnbrokers/Pawnshops (Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation)
• 'Pawn Stars' Lawsuit: Tiny Fla. Pawn Shop Owns 'Pawn Stars' Name? (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
• Did 'Pawn Stars' Shop Melt Down $50K in Stolen Coins? (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)
• Before 'Pawn Stars' Wedding, Does Rick Harrison Need a Prenup? (FindLaw's Celebrity Justice)