Hazleton--In Hazleton police raided 2 pawn shops and believe some of the items were stolen.
Police moved into a pawn shop on East Broad Street and a second shop on Vine Street in Hazleton. City documents show both are owned by the same man. Officers took the actions because of a new city law which makes the shops more accountable
City Council President Jack Mundie said that's especially true when it comes to keeping records, and registering items.
"It's a deterrent to crime and people stealing and taking stuff to the pawn shops. when you bring something and pawn something they take their license and it's put in a book."
Police say they found several items brand new still in the boxes with the price tags still on them. Investigators suspect they were stolen.
Rafael Santana lives above the pawn shop on Vine Street and explained he knows the owner.
"He's a good guy, he's not a bad guy. He may be buying stuff from the customers he might not know that the stuff was stolen." Santana said.
Ken Norman has a business next door to the East Broad Street pawn shop.
"It's something I kind of expect anymore. it's just the way things in the city are changing." Norman said.
Norman explained he's been inside the pawn shop and never saw new merchandise.
"I saw minimal stuff all used."
No charges have been filed. The owner, declined to talk about the raids in his pawn shops in Hazleton.