Did you know if you have something stolen, and you find it in a pawn shop, they don't have to return it to you? It's long been the practice in this area though, that they will usually give it back if you reimburse them what they paid for it.
One of my employees had his daughters iPod stolen. He searched the pawn shops and found it, identifying it by the serial number. He contacted the police and they notified the pawn shop that they had to hold the item for 30 days. They then told him that the pawn shop would probably return it to him if he reimbursed them. I couldn't believe this so I called them to see if this wast true. They said that the law says that the "may" return the item not "shall" return the item, and that under the law they don't have to return it at all, but that you have the right to sue them for it.
I went to the pawn shop with my employee to see what was going to happen. They said that they would have no problem returning the iPod if he reimbursed them $50, as that was what they paid for it, and that he could "go after" the guy who sold it to them. (They provided his name and address) I said that both my guy and the pawn shop were victimized by this thief, so why should the primary victim (my guy) have to reimburse the secondary victim (the pawn shop). I told my guy to pay the pawn shop then take them to Small Claims Court. The pawn shop owner said that we could do it, though warned us that in twenty years he's never lost in cases like this.
So; here's what I learned. If you have, let's say a $1,000 lawn tractor stolen, and you find it on Craig's list, the stolen merchandise is returned to you; even though the person who has it may have unwittingly bought it from the person who stole it. But, if you find it in a pawn shop, and the pawn shop paid $500 for it, you will have to reimburse them the $500 to retrieve your merchandise.
So it seems as though the pawn shop association lobbied to have the law protect them, while we don't belong to any "People who have had their stuff stolen" association so we lose. Pretty sad, huh?
Pawn Shops have to keep a written record of everything they either purchase or take in pawn, and this record is checked regulairly by the police...it's the law in Ohio.
Had your friend reported it to the police prior to going in himself, the police would have conficated the item and called your friend to report that they had recovered it and by going down to police headquarters he could have picked it up.
The pawn broker only has your word to go by even if you have the serial number. How does he know if your friend actually owned it or not. He could have gotten it for a gift for someone.
NEVER, EVER play detective ... that's what the police are here for, you'll always end up on the short end of the stick.