Faced with financial hard times, an owner of a precious metals dealer business near Orange City allegedly admitted to Volusia County Sheriff’s Office investigators he “did wrong.”
Carlos Martinez was arrested on a warrant Thursday charging him with dealing in stolen property and tampering with evidence. He’s accused of accepting jewelry that he suspected had been stolen and immediately shipping it off to a wholesaler for a quick profit.
Additionally, he had turned off his in-store surveillance camera and didn’t complete any required paperwork during the transaction so as not to leave evidence of what he had done.
On Monday investigators were told by a man familiar with a suspected burglar that the suspect had recently taken stolen jewelry to Quality Gold Exchange, 2290 S. Volusia Ave., and received $1,100.
The tipster said that the suspect, Joshua Ellis, had gone to that particular business because Martinez wouldn’t complete any paperwork on the sale. Investigators later interviewed Ellis, who had been arrested Wednesday for a home burglary in Deltona. Ellis said that he had spoken with Martinez a few days prior and that Martinez had encouraged him to bring any valuable items he had to the business and Martinez wouldn’t document the transactions.
After burglarizing the Deltona home on Monday, Ellis took some of the jewelry he had stolen to Quality Gold Exchange where he got the money without having to fill out any paperwork or leave a thumbprint.
Investigators spoke with Martinez about the recent business dealing with Ellis. Martinez admitted that he had suspected Ellis’ items were stolen and that prior to starting the transaction he had purposely shut off his surveillance camera.
According to Florida Statute, Martinez is required to fill out a secondhand dealers transaction form – which includes taking the thumbprint of the person selling the goods – but he did not when he took Ellis’ jewelry. Florida Statute also requires dealers to hold any obtained goods for 15 days.
Martinez instead had the jewelry sent to an Orlando wholesaler the next day where the items were melted down and Martinez’s business got a check for $4,248.95.
Martinez explained to investigators that his business was having financial hardships and he needed the money right away.
Martinez, 36, was arrested Thursday morning at his business and will be booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach.
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