CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – What happens after your property is taken is sometimes key to finding a suspect.
Any time you pawn something that doesn’t belong to you -- but tell the people at the pawn shop that you are the owner -- you’re providing false information. That’s how a suspect was captured in Middleburg Wednesday night.
Robert Griffis, 57, is charged with providing false information to a pawn broker.
According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, detectives believe Griffis stole items, then went to Orange Park Value Pawn shop and pawned a chainsaw, generator and other items that were reported stolen. Deputies said the transaction was recorded on a ticket with Griffis’ name on it.
News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said that’s the crime.
“Even though he used his real name, possibly, and they take a fingerprint, he was not the actual owner of the property, so that’s what they mean by providing false information,” Smith said.
An employee at Value Pawn said, in some cases, crooks who don’t have valid identification will hire another person to pawn the stolen items.
“People do that a lot," Smith said. "They’ll get someone else to pawn it and they’ll give them a percentage of the money if they use their own identification. But either way, since they’re not the actual owner, the person who actually pawns it and signs the waiver stating they are the owner of the property, they’re the ones who are charged with providing false information.”
Although investigators have labeled Griffis as a burglary suspect, he isn’t charged with burglary right now.
Detectives said it’s unclear if he pawned the stolen items for himself or someone else.
Tanya Medders is encouraged by the arrest. She said just two weeks ago she was burglarized.
“They don’t slip up that often," she said. "It takes a lot.”
Smith said any time you buy items that have a serial number, especially expensive items like electronics, it’s always a good idea to record the serial number so if it’s stolen you can give that information to law enforcement. It’ll be entered into a database and will throw up a red flag at pawn shops.