SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)– A Springfield woman was sentenced in Springfield Federal Court on Thursday for her involvement in the reselling of stolen goods and money laundering.
Mimi Mai, 50, owned and operated a pawn shop in Holyoke, Mass., called EZ Exchange. She would buy items such as power tools, electronic devices, sunglasses, and beauty and personal care products from people she knew had stolen the items. She then resold them on eBay at a price well above what she had paid.
According to prosecutors, Mai made more than $2.1 million between 2018 and 2021 from the sale of items she had listed for sale as “new” on eBay. She then bought property in Florida with the money.
She had been indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2022 on the following charges:
- Interstate transportation of stolen goods
- Money laundering (4 counts)
- Engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity (2 counts)
Mai pled guilty to the charges in December 2022.
She was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Mai was also ordered to pay $3,472 in restitution and to forfeit $1.5 million to the United States.
