CHICAGO (WAND) – Several people, including a Bloomington family, have been charged for allegedly running an organized retail crime enterprise through multiple central Illinois Monster Pawn locations that the family owned and operated.
Attorney General Raoul's office charged Monster Pawn’s owners, Edwin Pierce, 65; Kathleen Pierce, 58; and their son, Everson Pierce, 28, and four additional individuals as a result of a multi-jurisdictional investigation.
Raoul’s office alleges that between November 2023 and July 2024, the defendants ran an organized retail crime operation at the following locations:
- Monster Pawn Springfield North LLC: 200 block of E. North Grand Ave. in Springfield, Illinois
- Monster Pawn Springfield Inc.: 2300 block of S. MacArthur Blvd. in Springfield, Illinois
- Midwest Exchange Inc.: 1400 block of E. Empire St. in Bloomington, Illinois
- Monster Pawn, Inc.: 1600 block of R.T. Dunn Dr. in Bloomington, Illinois
- Monster Pawn Normal Inc.: 1400 block of S. Main St. in Normal, Illinois
“Organized retail crime takes many forms and is not limited to any one type of business or region of Illinois. Illinois residents should be able to trust businesses in their communities to operate in accordance with the law and that the goods and services customers purchase from businesses were procured legally,” Raoul said.
Raoul's alleges the Pierce family, with Monster Pawn shop managers and employees worked together to purchase new merchandise, such as televisions, tools and video game equipment, still in its original packaging.
According to Raoul’s office, the merchandise was represented as being the proceeds of retail theft, which the defendants would purchase well below market value. The Pierce family and their employees then allegedly sold those items online below market value.
The Attorney General’s office charged Kathleen Pierce with three misdemeanor counts of theft under $500.
Edwin Pierce was charged with three misdemeanor counts of theft under $500, as well as:
- One count of being the organizer of a continuing financial crimes enterprise, a Class X felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
- One count of continuing financial crimes enterprise, a Class 1 felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
- One count of being the manager of organized retail crime, a Class 2 felony, punishable by up to seven years in prison.
- Eight counts of theft between $500 and $10,000.
- One count of solicitation of theft, and two counts of money laundering, all Class 3 felonies, each punishable by up to five years in prison.
Everson Pierce was charged with seven misdemeanor counts of theft under $500, as well as:
- One count of being the organizer of a continuing financial crimes enterprise, a Class X felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
- One count of being the manager of organized retail crime, a Class 2 felony punishable by up to seven years in prison.
- Four counts of theft between $500 and $10,000 and two counts of money laundering, all Class 3 felonies, each punishable by up to five years in prison.
Others also charged alongside the Pierce family include the following:
Thomas O’Donnell, 57, of Normal, Illinois, charged with:
- Two counts of theft between $500 and $10,000 and two counts of money laundering, all Class 3 felonies, each punishable by up to five years in prison.
- Eight misdemeanor counts of theft under $500.
Steven Mileham, 71, of Springfield, Illinois, charged with:
- One count of solicitation of theft and one count of theft between $500 and $10,000, both Class 3 felonies, each punishable by up to five years in prison.
- One count of being the manager of organized retail crime, a Class 2 felony punishable by up to seven years in prison.
Jessica Cloyd, 34, of Mechanicsburg, Illinois, charged with:
- One count of theft between $500 and $10,000, a Class 3 felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
- Three misdemeanor counts of theft under $500.
Carter Walker, 25, of Chatham, Illinois, charged with:
- One count of theft between $500 and $10,000, a Class 3 felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
- One misdemeanor count of theft under $500.
All sentences are ultimately determined by the court.
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