Rochester Man Sentenced for Stolen Property Racket

A 27-year-old Rochester man was sentenced to time served after serving nearly nine months in prison for his role in a stolen property ring that bilked retailers out of over $350,000 in merchandise.

Brandon Meade, owner of East Side Gold and Car Audio, a pawn shop in Rochester, was convicted of conspiring to transport and transfer stolen property with an aggregate value of at least $5,000 in interstate commerce.

Meade and several co-defendants, including Rico J. Vendetti, obtained stolen merchandise through an organized ring of shoplifters who targeted large retailers such as Walmart, Sears, Home Depot, JoAnn Fabrics, Tops, and Wegmans.

The stolen goods were then sold on eBay for approximately half of their retail value, generating a significant profit for the defendants.

Meade was not involved in a separate home invasion robbery in Medina, New York, in which 78-year-old Homer Marciniak was killed and his collection of collectible comic books stolen.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York State Police, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Medina Police Department, and the Rochester Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott S. Allen, Jr. handled the case, which has resulted in the conviction of several individuals, including Vendetti, Arlene Combs, Albert Parsons, and Donald Griffin, who have been linked to Marciniak’s death.

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