Pawn Shop Probe Recovers Items Taken in Hillsborough Burglaries

A Highland Park man has been charged with fencing stolen property and other charges following an undercover investigation into eight Somerset County gold buying businesses in July that discovered numerous items identified as having been stolen from Franklin and Hillsborough residences, according to Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano.

Soriano said the charges stemmed from "Operation Somer Gold," with detectives assigned to the Prosecutor's Office and officials from the state Division of Weights and Measures, and was aimed at checking on the store's compliance with requirements for the purchase of precious metals and sale of second-hand jewelry.

But the investigation into the Cash for Gold store, on Hamilton Road in Franklin,
operated by David Rubin, 55, of Highland Park, uncovered gold jewelry, collectable coins, cell phones and computers and construction equipment believed to be stolen, Soriano said.

Afterwards, burglary victims identified their stolen property which had been taken during residential, commercial and automobile burglaries 
committed in Franklin and Hillsborough between April 23, 2010, and July 31, 
2013.

Soriano said Rubin was also charged with hindering apprehension by lying to police officers during the investigation, and with tampering with pubic records by making a false entry on a Franklin Police property receipt.  

The investigation also resulted in a charge of conducting unlawful credit practices against Michal Khalaf, 51, of South Plainfield, after he attempted to pawn an item provided by an undercover officer at an interest rate of about 325 percent—above the state limit of 30 percent—at his Khalaf Jewelers store, in South Bound Brook, Soriano said.