Ron George, a delegate and owner of a jewelry store on Main Street as well as a new one in Severna Park, is among many jewelers who were targeted by police for allegedly buying second-hand gold jewelry without filling out required paperwork. This was part of what appears to be a fairly large investigation to stop fencing of stolen jewelry. Here is what George had to say (from our local newspaper):
Mr. George, R-Arnold, who also operates a jewelry store in Severna Park, admits he did not fill out the proper paperwork when he paid the undercover detectives $60 for a piece of old jewelry.
"I was in my Christmas season. I didn't have time to do the paperwork," he said, complaining the form is complicated and hard to find on the Web.
Mr. George, who said he will do the paperwork in the future,
added he rarely buys second-hand gold from people off the street and that he only did it this time because the officer asked on two separate occasions and looked embarrassed.
added he rarely buys second-hand gold from people off the street and that he only did it this time because the officer asked on two separate occasions and looked embarrassed.
"This guy was almost begging me," he said, recalling how he probably gave the officer too much for the item. He added the officer looked like a family man down on his luck, not a drug addict or criminal. "I felt sorry for the guy," he said.
For $60!!! George said the website and paperwork was complicated. I believe Ron, and I know what I'm talking about. I worked for Ron and in my family's jewelry business, spending many, many long hours selling jewelry during the December madness. For police to carry out their scam/scheme during that time is unconscionable (recently I wrote how stupid it was of local gov't to sponsor a forum on downtown businesses in the same month). The police seemed to be doing it zealously. Perhaps if they applied the same zeal to capturing or preventing the gold from being stolen, they could have averted this investigation. What they are really going after these jewelers for is not filling out paperwork. Do they have any idea how hard George and other jewelers work, especially during December? George is even busier serving us in the House of Delegates (And to be fair-we properly went after the "Acting" city attorney for not filling out required paperwork, but that was one piece of paper required to keep him legally certified to do what he did--which was basically filling out paperwork).I worked an entire holiday season in Ron's Main Street store and I completely respect his integrity and his business principles and ethics. He has always treated me, his employees and his customers with respect and fairness--and same for the way he works as a lawmaker. Yet somehow the police must balance their priorities when conducting their business. They should remember that George and others are also trying to conduct THEIR business--and it is their business which provides the wealth and the tax base to pay our police, whose business is to protect OUR business--which includes that of Ron George and the other jewelers.
I was approached regularly at Baltimore's Inner Harbor by thieves and fencers while simply walking along. I asked them where they got the goods. They smiled and said, "Sleight of hand. Mainly from Gordon's Jewelers." I wondered if it had been stolen from my family's store. Who knows how much of the "second hand" gold was lifted from George or the other jewelers being investigated because they were so busy serving customers, and maybe even dealing with the zealous police investigators while chains were being lifted by thieves? It's something to ponder.
Here is something else to ponder. Many years ago when my brother was in army boot camp, he met a fellow boot from our native town of Washington, DC. They got to talking and the conversation got around to the recent riots that burned much of DC in April, 1968.
The fellow recruit the volunteered where he was."I was burning and looting a jewelry store on 14th street"
My brother did not say a word. Our father's store was on 14th street and it got burned to nothing. Was the boot talking about our store? My father, and my brother have been zealous proponents of civil rights and racial equality. My father served in the Navy and believed that all Americans deserved equal respect and protection under the law, especially after seeing them serve in uniform. He was always fair in his hiring and employee practices. And there was my brother and his fellow recruit in Fort Bragg, North Carolina training to serve in the Army that supposedly would protect and defend the United States of America. My brother served stateside. I wonder where his fellow recruit, a Black man served. Odds were that his country sent him to Vietnam.(Okay, I'm a little off subject here, but at least I did not title the story "Defending the Family Jewels.")
You can read the full story in the local paper at all that glitters .
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