Pawnshop owner held in theft case

Steven Melman, whose mother, Lillian, had the ring stolen from her Rockville home in March, said that the family was thrilled to have the jewelry back. He said that the ring was actually two rings, given as engagement and wedding gifts, and fused together in a diamond setting with baguettes on each side. The Egyptian pendant, purchased during a trip to the Nile, was also taken from her.

"It's very scary for an older woman - they're always asking help from people with property, plumbing, heating. You expect these people to do good," said Melman, 61. "She thought the ring was gone forever. She was very depressed."

A county police detective wrote in charging documents that he had received numerous complaints from other pawnshops and victims over the past three years about B&A Pawn's business practices, including concerns about reporting of pawned items and storage and holding of precious metal objects.

A records check showed that B&A Pawn was operating without a license, having let it lapse April 30. Officials at the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation also said that two of Graham's employees were not licensed through the state to conduct precious metal transactions or supervise directly the buying and selling of precious metal objects.

During the raid on his business, an officer observed Graham reach into one of the safes, grab something, and place it in his pocket. He was ordered to empty his pockets, and pulled out the ring that was the target of the search warrant. "Here is the ring you are looking for," Graham said, according to court records.

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