The Broward Sheriff’s Office Robbery Unit on Tuesday made seven arrests of pawn shop employees for carrying out a multi-year racketeering operation that led to losses of millions of dollars for national retailers. 

According to detectives, employees of U.S. Pawn paid for stolen merchandise brought to them by thieves or boosters. The items included over-the-counter medications, health and beauty products, tools and electronics, many of which were still sealed in boxes and stolen from well-known stores. The items were then sold on e-commerce/online platforms. 

The investigation began in 2022 and is believed to have cost retailers, including CVS, Walgreens, Home Depot, Publix and Walmart, among others, millions of dollars. The thefts occurred across Broward County and throughout the state of Florida. The retailers worked closely with BSO during the three-year investigation. 

Through investigative means, detectives determined that the criminal activity was coordinated and organized from the owner of U.S. Pawn, Igor Melomed, to lower-level employees. In addition to the seven arrested on Tuesday, an additional two employees were previously arrested. The names of the subjects arrested and the charges they face are below. 

In December 2023, detectives served search warrants on U.S. Pawn locations in Hollywood – a storefront and a warehouse located at 5450 South State Road 7. Detectives seized more than 50 pallets of stolen merchandise worth more than $750,000. On the same date, detectives also served search warrants at another U.S. Pawn location in Fort Lauderdale at 400 W. Sunrise Blvd. Detectives said the organized retail theft was so prolific that some of the boosters would conduct multiple transactions of stolen items on the same day.

The investigation is ongoing.

ARRESTEES:

Igor Melomed, 46, 10/5/1978, male (1 count of racketeering)

Marie Turene, 34, 1/10/1991, female (1 count of racketeering, 1 count of dealing in stolen property)

William LaCroix, 58, 10/5/1966, male (1 count of racketeering)

Lyndon Johnson, 37, 1/25/1988, male (1 count of racketeering, 3 counts of dealing in stolen property)

Edward Ibragimov, 39, 3/17/1986, male (1 count of racketeering)

Kevin Gilyard, 37, 9/26/1987, male (1 count of racketeering, 1 count of dealing stolen property)

Luis Bustos Diaz, 36, 10/24/1988, male (1 count of racketeering)

Natalia Kudelina, 49, 11/17/1975, female (1 count of dealing in stolen property)

Natalia Khodyreva, 40, 2/13/1985, female (2 counts of dealing in stolen property)