Broward County, FL – A South Florida pawn shop owner and six employees have been arrested in connection with a large-scale retail theft and racketeering operation that spanned years and cost major retailers millions of dollars, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities say Igor Melomed, 46, owner of U.S. Pawn, orchestrated a scheme in which his employees bought stolen merchandise from thieves—referred to as “boosters”—and resold the items illegally through their Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale pawn shop locations.
The stolen goods included over-the-counter medications, beauty products, tools, and electronics, taken from major retailers such as CVS, Walgreens, Home Depot, Publix, and Walmart across Broward County and throughout Florida.
“It was quite the operation—very lucrative unfortunately,” said BSO Sgt. Rich Rossman.
Detectives first noticed a pattern in 2022, when many retail theft cases pointed back to U.S. Pawn. In December 2023, search warrants were executed at multiple locations, including a storefront and a warehouse in Hollywood, where officials seized over 50 pallets of stolen goods—valued at more than $750,000.
At the time of the bust, the scale of the operation was evident. “They would close the door because they couldn’t accept any more customers,” said Rossman. “There was so much product all over the counters… they brought it in trash bags, wheeled it in wagons.”
Seven suspects, including Melomed, were arrested Tuesday and charged with racketeering and dealing in stolen property. Two other U.S. Pawn employees had been arrested earlier in the investigation.
Officials say the investigation remains ongoing and could lead to additional arrests as they work to dismantle the rest of the criminal network.
