MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – A Myrtle Beach pawn shop owner is behind bars after a two-year investigation into the business reveals evidence that the store was receiving and selling stolen property.
According to Myrtle Beach Police Lt. Joey Crosby, the investigation into Steve’s Pawn Shop, located at 1007 Broadway St., began in 2015 when law enforcement was informed the store was receiving and selling stolen merchandise.
Detectives opened an investigation, and on Wednesday received a search warrant for the pawn shop. The store’s owner, Steve Wiggins, has been arrested and charged with receiving stolen goods over $10,000. Lt. Crosby says the investigation is still on-going and future arrests are possible.
Details into what type of allegedly stolen merchandise was received or sold at the shop were not made available.
Steve’s Pawn Shop was recently connected to the alleged crimes of a Sumter woman after she was shot by an Horry County Police officer in November 2015.
Laquandra Borden, 25, of Sumter, was charged with fraud after officers say she stole multiple items from the Conway Walmart and sold them to Steve’s Pawn Shop in September 2015.
The police report states that on September 9, 2015, Borden entered Steve’s Pawn Shop, then located at 1118 3rd Avenue South, with several items. Borden presented:
Three Mophie phone pack chargers
Two Braun Series 5 Razors
Toshiba Canvio Connect II Hard Drive
Six Linksys Max-Stream Routers
Three Mach 3 Turbo Razors
Quicken for Windows
Crest 3D White Strips
Asus Wireless Router
Brother Serge Sewing Machine
Conway Police confirmed that the items were stolen from the Walmart in Conway and took the items from the pawn shop.
The owner of Steve’s Pawn Shop explained to police that Borden used her South Carolina driver’s license to identify herself and was given $1,474 for the items. Records show the pawn shop owner contacted police on September 29, 2015 regarding the items being stolen.
Myrtle Beach Police have not commented on whether Borden’s case is what sparked the investigation into Steve’s Pawn Shop.