A stolen "Kirby Morgan Dive Helmet" worth nearly $7,000 has been recovered by police after being stolen from a Peoria home.
Peoria police report that on September 21 they arrested two pawn shop employees, 27-year-old Cody Cooper Smith and 28-year-old Graham Wittke, for trafficking stolen property.
Police say in May, a man's home near 70th Avenue and Cactus Road was burglarized. Multiple items were taken, including a "Kirby Morgan Dive Helmet" worth nearly $7,000.
About a week later, the stolen helmet was pawned at a pawn shop near 19th Avenue and Bell Road for about $1,450. After waiting for the 90-day holding requirement, Wittke and Smith put the helmet for sale on eBay.
A purchaser contacted them asking for the serial number on the helmet. The buyer, who works for Kirby Morgan, checked the number and told Smith and Wittke that the helmet was reported stolen.
Instead of contacting police, they allegedly put the helmet back up for sale and selling it to a man in Illinois for nearly $1,800.
Peoria police were able to recover the helmet and confirmed that it was stolen.
Both men have been charged with trafficking in stolen property.
