Pittsburgh record shop owner guilty in addict-fueled shoplifting ring
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The owner of a since-shuttered Pittsburgh record store has pleaded guilty to using heroin addicts to shoplift books, videos, and other products that he then resold online.
Fifty-one-year-old Anthony Cicero pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count or organized retail theft in return for state prosecutors dropping more serious charges, including running a corrupt organization, also known as racketeering.
State prosecutors alleged Cicero sold more than $2 million worth of stolen items online since 2008. Some of the stolen items were stored at his Slipped Disc record store in Oakland, a trendy Pittsburgh neighborhood home to The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.
As part of a plea deal, Cicero will pay $175,000 restitution, spend six months on house arrest and spend 10 years on probation.