Brandon Meade, Conspiring to Transport and Transfer Stolen Property, New York 2015

BUFFALO, N.Y.--A Rochester man pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport and transfer stolen property with an aggregate value of $5,000 in interstate commerce. Brandon Meade, 27, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to the charge before District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Meade ran East Side Gold and Car Audio, a pawn shop located at the corner of North Goodman and Clifford Avenues in Rochester. In that role, he assisted several other individuals, including Rico J. Vendetti, in obtaining over $350,000 in merchandise. The merchandise was obtained through organized rings of shoplifters who stole from big box stores such as Walmart, Sears, Home Depot, JoAnn Fabrics, Tops and Wegmans.

The merchandise was then allegedly sold by Vendetti on eBay for about half of its retail value.

Vendetti, along with Arlene Combs, Albert Parsons, and Donald Griffin, all of Rochester, N.Y., are charged with felony murder in the death of 78-year-old Homer Marciniak during the course of a home invasion robbery at Marciniak's home in Medina, N.Y. in July, 2010.

According to the indictment, Vendetti, Combs, Parsons and Griffin planned and carried out a July 5, 2010 home invasion robbery at Marciniak's Medina home. During the robbery, Marciniak's valuable collection of collectible comic books was stolen and Marciniak was beaten. Several hours after being treated for bruises and lacerations suffered during the robbery and released from the hospital, Marciniak was readmitted to the hospital where he died of a heart attack.

Meade's sentencing is scheduled for January 12, 2015 at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of New York announced the guilty plea.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdny/pr/rochester-man-pleads-guilty-charges-involving-stolen-property