Both Monster Pawn locations in Springfield were surrounded by crime scene tape and officers from the Springfield and Chatham police departments the morning of July 23, but it appears the activity was part of a larger investigation.
The Monster Pawn properties in
Springfield, 2324 S. MacArthur Blvd. and 222 North Grand Ave. East, are both
owned by Monster Properties, LLC. Edwin Pierce and Steven J. Mileham are listed
as the registered agents, according to the Illinois Secretary of State.
According to a timeline on Monster
Pawn’s website, Pierce opened a location in Normal with two business partners
in 2004, followed by Pierce and Mileham opening Monster Pawn Springfield in
2011. The two purchased Midwest Exchange, a Bloomington pawn shop, in 2015. A
Peoria location followed in 2016, and in 2022 they acquired the former House of
Music property at the corner of North Grand Avenue and Third Street and made it
a second Springfield location.
WGLT, the NPR station in
Bloomington-Normal, reported that the two Bloomington locations were also served searched warrants July 23. At all of the locations, witnesses reported seeing items being removed
from the stores and loaded into rental box trucks.
An employee of the MacArthur store, who did not want to be identified, said that police officers were asking all of the staff if they would agree to be interviewed and allow access to their phones.
No one answered the phone at either of the Springfield locations during business hours July 24.
Someone who answered the phone at the
Bloomington Monster Pawn said the store was open today, although only for “used
retail.” He said, “The state is currently doing an audit, so we don’t have
access to our software. It could be a few days, it could be a week – we’re not
sure.”
Google lists the Peoria location as permanently
closed and the phone number was not working.
