Lamborghini-crashing pawnbroker Devin Tribunella gets 4 years for stolen goods

(An earlier version of this story misstated the offense with Devin Tribunella's plea.)

A federal judge Wednesday sentenced Devin Tribunella, the pawnbroker who admitted to a multimillion-dollar criminal scheme, to four years in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Wednesday afternoon.

Tribunella, who owned Royal Crown Pawn & Jewelry at 3635 Dewey Ave. in Greece, recruited individuals who were often drug-addicted to go out and steal items from local stores, including Lowes, the Home Depot, Target and Walmart.

Tribunella, now 39, would buy the items for a fraction of their retail prices and then resell the stolen items on eBay or Amazon.

He profited $3.2 million between Jan. 1, 2017, and Sept. 16, 2019, according to prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to transportation of stolen goods in interstate commerce.

U.S District Judge Charles Siragusa also ordered Tribunella to forfeit more than $155,000 from three bank accounts, four vehicles — a 2008 Lamborghini, a 2014 Mercedes-Benz, a 2014 Rolls Royce and a 2015 Porsche — and a $1.6 million money judgement, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

It was Tribunella who in 2018 crashed his Lamborghini into a fire hydrant on East Avenue flooding the street then ran away on foot, an incident that generated local news because of the value of the abandoned car. He also boasted about his ostentatious lifestyle through social media posts.

In court papers, Tribunella's attorney, James Doyle, maintained that it was that very lifestyle and "conspicuous consumption in terms of automobiles, jewelry and gambling" that prompted Tribunella's local "notoriety."

The crash with the Lamborghini prompted Tribunella to become "a public figure," Doyle wrote.

Doyle wrote that Tribunella is not a danger and that his crime was non-violent. There were no reported opioid deaths linked to his crimes, according to Doyle.

After sentencing, Doyle said the sentencing guideline range could have been as much as 57 to 71 months.

"We are pleased that the court credited Mr. Tribunella substantially in finding a downward departure and sentencing significantly below the applicable guidelines range and well below the sentence recommended by the government," he said.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Devin Tribunella sentenced to 4 years for stolen goods