BOZEMAN — Secondhand deals can be great, but have you ever thought some of those bargains might be stolen goods in disguise?
For Theron Fountaine at Debos Pawn, helping catch thieves is just a part of the job.
“Definitely, theft in the area has increased dramatically in the last five years,” Fountaine said.
Watch how Bozeman pawn shops are tackling the rise in stolen goods
Theron says each item, from taxidermy to guitars, watches, and toys, is carefully processed.
“We report everything we take in through a process called LeadsOnline. And not only that, but we try and build a good relationship with law enforcement so that we can make a phone call when we see something suspicious,” he explained.
Fountaine says big box store thefts often go unpunished due to a lack of evidence or because the thieves get away before they're caught. But items stolen from personal homes can be a different story.
“In the case of used items where there is a home break-in, oftentimes those are easier to track down just because the owner of the item has proof that they purchased it, or identifying markings, and that kind of stuff,” he said.
Recently, local law enforcement arrested a man accused of stealing more than $2,000 worth of items from a car, then listing them on Facebook Marketplace.
According to charging documents, the man tried selling the items for $1,300 or best offer. Officers say that kind of price is often a red flag for stolen goods.
Fountaine says while some online sellers play by the rules, others treat resale sites like the Wild West: no receipts, no questions, and no accountability.
“It does seem to be a fairly lawless platform for selling stolen goods. Definitely, if you're buying off of Facebook Marketplace, I would be cautious,” he said.
Facebook’s Commerce Policies state that selling stolen items is not allowed on Marketplace. If users suspect something has been stolen, they’re encouraged to report the listing and contact local police.
I reached out to Detective Captain Dana McNeil, who told me crimes like these happen often. In fact, there are two Bozeman Police detectives whose sole job is investigating stolen property on social media and with pawn shops.
“We provide a service to the community in actually giving people their stolen items back,” Fountaine said.
