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*UPDATE: Detectives Arrest DeLand Man, Again, for Operating Pawn Shop Without License
Date Added: August 20, 2020 4:43 pm
Laura Williams, Office of
Public Affairs & Media Relations
UPDATE:
DeLand Pawn Shop Owner Arrested Again for Operating Without a License
Eight months after being arrested for operating a pawn shop without a license, DeLand pawn shop owner Mark Costantine has again been arrested by Volusia sheriff’s detectives.
Costantine, 40 (DOB 07/10/1980) was arrested Thursday at 12:20 p.m. at #1 Gold Buyers, 209 S. Spring Garden Ave., DeLand. He is charged with engaging in pawnbroker business without a license and dealing in stolen property, both felonies.
Sheriff’s detectives investigated Costantine in 2018 and 2019. Following their investigation, he was arrested Dec. 18, 2019, and charged with operating without a license.
Recently, detectives discovered that Costantine has continued to trade in pawns since his December arrest. An investigation began a week ago and detectives confirmed that this individual has returned to engaging in behavior as a pawn broker without a license.
In addition, detectives located items listed for sale that were consistent with organized racketeering activity, retail theft and trafficking in stolen property. None of the items had a transaction form in the pawn database and were not in the business when detectives executed a search warrant in December 2019.
Costantine was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail where he is being held with no bail allowed. A bond revocation was also requested.
ORIGINAL NEWS RELEASE APPEARS BELOW:
Dec. 19, 2019
Laura Williams, Office of
Public Affairs & Media Relations
.
DELAND PAWN SHOP OWNER ARRESTED
Defendant Operated Without License, Sold Items Without Keeping Records
The owner of # 1 Gold Buyers, a DeLand pawn shop, has been arrested and charged with operating without a license after sheriff’s detectives executed a search warrant, seizing more than 200 items including cash and guns during the investigation.
Mark Costantine, 39, (DOB 07/10/1980) of Deltona was arrested Wednesday after detectives from the Volusia Sheriff’s Office Northwest Detectives Unit, Crime Suppression Team and Deltona Detectives Unit searched the business, located at 209 S. Spring Garden Ave.
The investigation was prompted by detectives’ investigations into DeLand-area burglaries, dating back to March 2019. Detectives learned # 1 Gold Buyers was operating a pawn shop possibly illegally.
During this investigation, detectives discovered the business doesn’t have a pawn license but has a weights and measures license because Costantine advised the state Department of Agriculture he is a second-hand dealer and no longer operates as a pawn shop. However, an electronic sign at the business indicates it is a pawn shop and the investigation revealed he was actively conducting pawns.
Detectives checked the Pawn Shop Database and found the business has not uploaded any transactions since May 27, 2016. State law requires pawn shops and second-hand dealers to complete transaction forms when purchasing property and upload them to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office (VSO) server.
On Wednesday as the search warrant was executed, detectives discovered none of the property in the shop had a completed pawn transaction form or receipt. About 200 items of property, $6,000 in cash and 34 guns were seized in the investigation.
Costantine was charged with engaging in pawnbroker business without a license. He was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail and later released on $5,000 bail.