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Defendant Sentenced for Stolen Goods Scheme
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Edwin R. Barkley, 63, of Charlotte, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for operating a large-scale fraudulent scheme involving the purchase and sale of stolen goods and merchandise through his Charlotte-based storefront business, Tool King USA (Tool King).
According to court documents, from at least September 2015 through October 2018, Barkley operated Tool King as a ‘fence,’ buying stolen merchandise from multiple ‘boosters.’ A booster is someone who steals goods and merchandise and sells them to a fence. Barkley then sold the stolen merchandise on an e-commerce platform at or near ninety percent of their retail value, using the profits to pay for his daily living expenses.
In March 2019, Barkley pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen goods. He is currently released on bond and will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. All federal sentences are served without the possibility of parole.
Chief U.S. District Judge Frank D. Whitney stated that the defendant ran a ‘very sophisticated operation’ and that ‘keeping fingerprints’ off the stolen goods does not mean that you are innocent.
The investigation was the result of the efforts of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) and the United States Secret Service. The CMPD and Secret Service have established a fully integrated partnership to combat the most significant organized criminal groups operating in Charlotte.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny G. Sugar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Barkley’s sentence is a result of a long investigation into his business dealings. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and local law enforcement agencies are committed to holding individuals accountable for their crimes and disrupting organized crime groups.
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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