Six Rochester residents have been charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, transportation and sale of stolen goods in interstate commerce, money laundering, and conspiracy, for their roles in a retail theft ring in the Rochester, NY, area. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Named in the complaint are:
- Shabon Banks, 41
- Amanda Reeves, 40
- Chad Lewis, Jr., 20
- Chanc Lewis, 22
- Dominic Sprague, 40
- James Civiletti, 33
Shabon Banks is also charged with aggravated identity theft.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that according to the criminal complaint, in November 2023, the Greece Police Department began an investigation after it became aware that serial larcenist, Shabon Banks, had been engaged in an unusually large number of transactions at the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop in Greece. The investigation uncovered a theft ring involving defendants Banks, Reeves, Lewis, Jr., and Lewis (the larcenists), who have been engaged in an ongoing retail theft conspiracy involving the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop and its operators, defendants Sprague and Civiletti, since December 2021. As part of the scheme, the larcenists stole new-in-box items from store shelves, which they then sold to Sprague, Civiletti, and others at the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop, for a fraction of the actual retail value. Sprague and Civiletti then resold the stolen merchandise on eBay at much higher prices, resulting in significant profits for the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop. The merchandise was stolen from various stores including Home Depot, Target, Lowes, Walmart, and Kohls.
Since December 7, 2021, the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop has purchased 37,936 new-in-box items from the larcenists on more than 670 occasions, paying the larcenists $290,000.00. The investigation determined that the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop paid the larcenists 30% of the actual retail value of the stolen items. Therefore, the actual losses to the victim retailers and resulting profit to the New York Gold Diamond Pawn Shop are estimated to be much higher.
Sprague and Civiletti engaged in multiple financial transactions involving the proceeds of the fraud in violation of federal money laundering statutes. In total, between January 2022, and August 7, 2024, the New York Gold Diamond Pawn shop resold more than 48,000 new-in-box items via eBay for $2,467.847.46, the majority of which are believed to have been stolen.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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