Virginia man charged with selling stolen firearms in a Kinston pawnshop

An investigation into two stolen firearms discovered in a Kinston pawnshop has resulted in an arrest of a Virginia man by the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office.
William Jackson Harvey, 51, of Richmond, Va., was charged by the LCSO for possession of a stolen firearm, obtaining property by false pretense and possession of a firearm by a felon.
On July 18, the LCSO discovered the stolen firearms in a local pawnshop. According to a press release from the LCSO, Detective Administrative Secretary Sandra Baker began checking pawn tickets on the same day and was curious about the pawned firearms.
She made an inquiry using a state and federal database and quickly determined the firearms were stolen from Virginia. At this point, the case was turned over to LCSO Det. Josh Dunham, who also found a stolen grass trimmer, which had been stolen from a Lenoir County resident on July 6, and was also allegedly pawned by Harvey.
Dunham was able to obtain camera footage of Harvey actually removing the trimmer from a utility trailer while the owner was cutting grass at a business on Central Avenue. According to the victim, Harvey pulled into the business parking lot in a white Ford truck, went to the victim’s trailer and removed the Husqvarna trimmer. He then fled the area in the truck.
In speaking with Virginia authorities, it was discovered the stolen firearms were originally inside of a white Ford truck that had been stolen from Hanover County, Va. From there, Harvey drove to Kinston to visit a relative who lived in the Jackson Heights area at about the same time the trimmer was stolen on Central Avenue.
He then traveled to Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Fla., reportedly stealing other small items and pawning them in various pawn shops along the way. Harvey then traveled back to Richmond, where he was located by the U.S. Marshal’s Service Task Force and arrested on Tuesday at about 8:45 p.m.
When questioned by authorities about the thefts, Harvey confessed. The white Ford truck was not located, though, and a search continues for it.
Harvey has an extensive criminal record dating back to 1980 all over the country. In North Carolina, Harvey has been convicted of DWI, common law forgery and possession of a schedule II narcotic. In New York, Harvey was convicted of possession of stolen property. In Virginia, Harvey was convicted of several counts of trespassing, damage to property, as well as giving false information, unlawfully discharging a firearm, resisting arrest, destroying private property, assault, grand theft, possession of controlled substances, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, felony eluding police, and possession of schedule I and II drugs.
He has pending charges in Chesterfield County, Va., for assault and battery, strangulation, threatening to burn or bomb, and abduction for force. There were also outstanding warrants on Harvey in Henrico County, Va., for felony hit and run, reckless driving, and no operator’s license.
“Because of the theft of firearms, my investigators spoke with an ATF agent about taking this case to the federal level,” Lenoir County Sheriff Chris Hill said. “Now, this is where this man will be heading. Harvey has lived a life of committing crimes and he has played his last card and lost. If convicted in federal court, with his extensive record, Harvey faces 20 years in prison.”