Technology Helps Cops Find Stolen Jewelry Before It Could Be Melted Down

Cameron Cornell, 19, and John Sorenson, 38, both of Independence Township, are awaiting trial on home invasion charges after an online tracking system led police to them within 24 hours of their alleged crimes. (Oakland County Sheriff’s Office photos)

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Oakland County authorities used an online tracking system to quickly nab a couple of suspected thieves who allegedly stole $10,000 worth of jewelry in a Waterford Township home invasion.

The arrests of John Sorenson, 38, and Cameron Cornell, 19, came within 24 hours of the thefts, after police received alerts of items pawned in Pontiac, Waterford Township and Independence Township through a system known as LeadsOnline.

The technology allows for an instant search for stolen property that may have been sold at secondhand stores, pawn shops, internet drop off stores, or scrap metal recyclers, across all 50 states.

Without it, the jewelry may have been lost forever to the victim.

“If we didn’t have access to LeadsOnline we would have had to wait for the paper pawn ticket, which could have taken a month, and the jewelry could have been melted down by then,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement.

Instead, “within 24 hours of the theft, we were able to recover the jewelry for the victims,” he said

Sorenson and Cornell, both of Independence Township, were charged with second-degree home invasion in connection with alleged crimes in Independence Township, and with first-degree home invasion in Waterford Township.

The sheriff’s office recovered stolen firearms, ammo, and jewelry from the suspects’ vehicle at the time of questioning.

LeadsOnline, the nation’s largest online investigations system used by law enforcement to track stolen property, is used by more than 85 police agencies in Michigan and 3,000 agencies nationwide.