By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER and CHRISTOPHER GOFFARD
Published September 23, 2004
Tampa police Sgt. Jim Contento says he's dealt with pawn shops long enough to know not all of them track their inventory the way they're supposed to - a shortcoming that makes it difficult for police to recover stolen goods.
Wednesday, he and 14 detectives discovered just how big the problem is. Thirteen pawn shops were cited for failing to properly document the goods that come through their doors, and in one shop detectives found a stolen necklace worth $1,000.
The launch of "Operation Validation" had detectives fanning out in pairs for surprise inspections of the 27 pawn shops in District 1, which includes South Tampa and N Dale Mabry Highway around Raymond James Stadium.
Detectives pulled inventory information from recent pawns and asked to see the items to verify that the model and serial numbers match up.
Three Cash America Pawn stores were cited for a total of 17 violations. In all, police found 42 violations that will be reported to the Florida Department of Revenue, Contento said.
"People try to move stolen goods through pawn shops, that's nothing new," Contento said. "But we're doing this to let them know we're watching them, that we're not going to let this go on."
Pawn shops are required to record serial and model numbers for pawned items so they can be matched against stolen items. Failure to do so can result in fines as much as $2,000 and the suspension of a shop's operating license. And evidence of organized fraud can lead to criminal charges, Contento said.
Police also want residents to better document their valuables. They've posted a form on the department Web site, www.tampagov.net/dept%5FPolice/ that makes it easy to write down all the information police will need to find a stolen television or CD player.
Contento admittedly doesn't know the model and serial number of his TV set, but said he'll learn it. "I'm preaching this stuff, I guess I should."
TRY, TRY HIM AGAIN: Remember Dony Cisneros? In April, the 25-year-old Venezuelan national went on trial in Hillsborough court, accused of climbing through a woman's Bayshore Boulevard apartment window and raping her at knifepoint.
The twist: Jorge Chalela, Cisneros' lawyer, said his client had confessed his guilt to him and had insisted - against Chalela's objections - on telling a trumped-up story on the stand.
Nevertheless, Cisneros won an acquittal after taking the stand and insisting, in the course of an elaborate story, that his sex with the Bayshore Boulevard woman was consensual.
Since then, prosecutors have been itching for another chance to put Cisneros in prison.
This week they are trying him on charges of burglary and sexual battery stemming from two incidents.
Prosecutors say that in September 2002, Cisneros raped a woman in a Tampa apartment while threatening her with a wrench, and DNA links him to the crime.
Three months later, prosecutors say, he confronted another woman in her Town 'N Country home with a knife, but fled when her husband appeared.
A jury is hearing the case now. On Wednesday, Cisneros testified the sex with the Tampa woman was consensual, and that he was at the Town 'N Country woman's home with her consent.
If convicted, Cisneros could face life in prison. If acquitted, prosecutors have no other charges on which to try him, though federal officials have an immigration hold on him.
Closing arguments are expected today.
BEWARE BEER DRINKERS: Earlier this month, just days after Mark Ober was re-elected as Hillsborough's state attorney, someone smashed the window of his downtown campaign headquarters and burglarized the place.
Among the missing items: a fax machine, a computer, phone equipment and all the beverages stored in the coolers to refresh campaign workers, including water, sodas and beer.
Later, when Ober met with Tampa police Chief Steve Hogue to compliment him on his officers' response to the break-in, the State Attorney joked that police should keep on the lookout for people with beer.
Ober quipped, "If you see anyone with a 12-pack of Old Milwaukee, that's probable cause."
Contact Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler at 813 226-3373 or svansickler@ sptimes.com. Contact Christopher Goffard at (813) 226-3337 or goffard@sptimes.com
