Nashua Police Bust Pawn Shop Ring

Submitted by the Nashua Police Department

On Sept. 16, members of the Nashua Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division launched an investigation into a Retail Crime Ring that was responsible for thefts from local retailers. The cumulative loss was estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

During the course of the investigation, four individuals identified as: Christina Giguere (28), Steven Giguere (25), Doris Berry (46) and Rebecca Bulsa (20) were arrested on numerous charges of theft and receiving stolen property.

The investigation also lead to the discovery of two other individuals identified as: Cassondra Davis (26) and Ross Clapper (24) who were also arrested in regard to their own retail theft crimes.

Following these arrests the investigation began to focus on two local pawn shops that appeared to be feeding this crime spree. These two pawn shops were identified as Family Pawn, 433 Amherst St. in Nashua and Nashua Pawn, 83 Main St. in Nashua. The Nashua Police Department learned that these establishments had been buying large amounts of the above stolen property.

The owners of Family Pawn were identified as Hai Phuoc Ho (52) and Lan Tran (49) of Cox Street in Nashua. The owner of Nashua Pawn was identified as Carl Branco (47), of Briarwood Lane of Litchfield. Based on the investigation a search warrant was obtained to search the residence of the owner’s of Family Pawn. This search warrant yielded more than $60,000 dollars worth of stolen merchandise that was located throughout the home. Property that was seized during this search warrant matched that of what had been reported as stolen and sold to the pawn shop by the above listed suspects.

Family Pawn had not reported any of the hundreds of transactions made by the above listed individuals. Carl Branco of Nashua Pawn had reported the items he purchased but sheer volume of stolen merchandise was staggering. Between March 2014 through October 2014 the above six individuals (C. Giguere, S. Giguere, Berry, Bulsa, Davis and Clapper) sold 438 stolen items to Carl Branco of Nashua Pawn.

As a result of the investigation, Hai Phuoc Ho was charged with Receiving Stolen Property Consolidated, Class A Felony; Lan Tran was charged with Receiving Stolen Property Consolidated, Class A Felony; and Carl Branco was charged with Receiving Stolen Property Consolidated, Class A Felony.

A Class A Felony is punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment, exclusive of fines.

Hai Phuoc Ho, Lan Tran, and Carl Branco all received a $ 40,000 cash bail. All three individuals will be arraigned at the 9th Circuit-District Division-Nashua Court on Nov. 4.

Editor’s note: The following post was derived from information supplied by the Nashua Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. Click this link to find out how to get a name removed from a New Hampshire Patch arrest report.