OC RAPID SYSTEM NAILS PAWN SHOP OWNERS SIBLINGS FOUND GUILTY

Yesterday (7/14) after a short deliberation of only a few hours, an Ocean County jury returned a verdict of guilty on two (2) counts of Receiving Stolen Property and Dealing in Stolen Property in the case of State v. Michael Bucca, 46, of Beachwood and Malissa Bucca, 39, of Nutley. At sentencing the siblings face a possible maximum sentence of five 5 years in New Jersey State Prison. The tentative sentencing date is set for Friday, August 26.

Michael and Malissa are part of a family owned pawnshop called Quick Cash with locations in Toms River and Berkeley Township. The charges stem from the defendants accepting stolen property (Legos, food processors and coffee makers) sometime between early January 2015 and February 2015. They were arrested on the above charges on February 5, 2015.

The investigation of the defendants was the result of an alert by Ocean County Prosecutor’s Regional Automated Property Information Database (RAPID) system. This is an internet data base system in which all Ocean County pawnshops are mandated to report incoming purchases of merchandise. This case marks the systems first successful arrest & prosecution. Presently Ocean County is the only county in New Jersey to have an all-inclusive county wide system. Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato stated, “This system is a robbery or burglary victim’s best chance at finding justice and recovering their stolen property. It shuts down Ocean County as a place where thieves can anonymously profit from their ill-gotten merchandise.”

Toms River Police Detectives Tom DiMichele, Roger Hull and Robert O’Neill, with assistance from Ocean County Prosecutor Detective Taryn Ritacco-Schwartz, diligently worked the investigation to secure the convictions. The case was prosecuted by Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Patrick Sheehan and Assistant Prosecutor Ashley Tito.

Michael Bucca

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