News and Success Stories

April 28, 2022

PLANO, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–LeadsOnline, LLC, today has announced the completion of its acquisition of Business Watch International, Inc. (or “BWI”) to provide law enforcement with expanded coverage and enhanced tools to advance cases faster and deliver justice to more victims. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

LeadsOnline, a nationwide provider of data, technology and intelligence tools used by law enforcement agencies, investigators, and businesses, looks to Business Watch International to expand and enrich its data and capabilities for advancing criminal investigations in the United States and Canada. Over time, LeadsOnline and BWI will seamlessly integrate systems to provide a more robust and advanced experience for law enforcement officers and business users under the LeadsOnline brand. LeadsOnline will maintain separate U.S. and Canadian businesses to comply with local laws.

“The combination of LeadsOnline and BWI will provide investigators with a more comprehensive network of information where it will become increasingly difficult for criminals to hide. With this acquisition, LeadsOnline will have the ability to provide an elevated level of service and commitment to law enforcement,” said Ashley Sacrider, COO, LeadsOnline. “This is a massive win for investigators across the country and the communities they serve.”

“Business Watch International has served law enforcement dutifully over the past 25 years, frequently playing instrumental roles in the return of stolen items to victims and helping law enforcement bring countless criminals to justice. We are so proud of the work we have done and are enthusiastic about the opportunity to be a part of the LeadsOnline family,” said Dion McArthur, CEO of Business Watch International. “We believe strongly that the combination of our two companies will make more victims whole and break cycles of crime across local communities.” Dion will serve as a Senior Advisor to the LeadsOnline team to ensure a smooth transition for BWI’s client agencies and reporting businesses.

“We couldn’t be more excited to bring these two companies together. In times of increasing crime and decreasing manpower, law enforcement needs systems with accurate, timely, and comprehensive intel to advance cases faster and farther than before. We are confident this acquisition will do meaningful good in the advancement of peace and justice in the United States and Canada,” said Alex Finley, CEO, LeadsOnline. “Dion and BWI have devoted decades to this work, and we’re thrilled about the opportunity take it forward.”

Stikeman Elliot and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal counsel and Baker Tilley as financial advisor to LeadsOnline.

About LeadsOnline

LeadsOnline is a powerful digital platform that helps law enforcement investigators and analysts advance criminal cases through the most current data on people and property across the U.S., and helps businesses reduce the hassles of reporting. Law enforcement agencies of every size and mandate use LeadsOnline to find elusive suspects, stolen items, and patterns of individual and organized criminal activity. Businesses, including pawn shops, secondhand stores, scrap metal recyclers and online marketplaces trust LeadsOnline more than any other system to freely, frictionlessly, and safely report transaction information to law enforcement. LeadsOnline is based in Plano, TX. For more information, please visit www.leadsonline.com.

About Business Watch International, Inc.

BWI provides law enforcement with an internet-based data management computer system for pawn, secondhand, precious metal, and scrap metal businesses. The system helps recover stolen property to the rightful owner while cutting down investigation time for law enforcement officers across both the U.S. and Canada. Business Watch International operates regionally in the United States and provides ‘coast to coast’ service in Canada.

Contacts
Customer Inquiries
US Customers – support@leadsonline.com or support@bwiusa.com
Canadian customers – communications@leadsonline.ca or support@businesswatch.ca

Media
For LeadsOnline:
Kaitlyn Jayroe
communications@leadsonline.com

February 18, 2022

By Dylan Suttles

ALTON — City officials are looking to use a tool approved by the county nearly three years ago to address the sale of stolen goods.

At Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting, aldermen will discuss amending Tile Four, Chapter 10, Sections 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the Alton city code of ordinances to create a new chapter called “Pawnbrokers and Secondhand Sellers.”

In March 2019, the Madison County Board approved an ordinance requiring pawn and second-hand stores to electronically submit lists of items taken in. Those businesses were required to participate in the LeadsOnline system, in which dealers daily upload information on items that law enforcement agencies can access.

Officials said most of the pawnbrokers in Alton already use the LeadsOnline system and the resolution is catching the city up with the county ordinance.

According to the proposed resolution, Alton Police have found that identifying and retrieving stolen goods from pawnbrokers and secondhand sellers — as well as identifying the people who sold the stolen items — can be a “difficult and labor-intensive” task. The resolution says the city’s use of LeadsOnline would give Alton Police the ability to determine when stolen goods are sold on Ebay, in pawn shops and in secondhand stores such as Gamestop.

The ordinance would require pawnshops and secondhand buyers in Alton to register with LeadsOnline and record the name, address, date of birth and a government ID card of any pawner or customer. They also would be required to take a photo of any item and record identifying information, such as serial number, description and color.

Alton Police would pay for the LeadsOnline registration, with no costs to pawnbrokers or secondhand dealers. Pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers who fail to comply with the Alton ordinance could face a $500 fine for the first offense and a $1,000 fine for each subsequent violations.

The ordinance would not apply to the sale of used vehicles or to donations to charitable organizations for resale.

Also on Tuesday, aldermen are scheduled to discuss:

• The closure of Broadway to facilitate a “Fat Tuesday Survival” event 5-9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1.
• Amending the city nuisance code pertaining to assault and battery; possession, manufacture or delivery of methamphetamine; and violation of the Litter Control Act.
• Authorizing a letter of intent with Student Athletes Leading Tomorrow to improve the tennis courts on the southern end of Rock Spring Park.
• Making improvements to College Avenue from Pullman Street to Johnson Street; Rock Spring Drive from Memorial Drive to College Avenue; Johnson Street from College Avenue to Tremont Street; and College Avenue from Johnson Street to Pleasant Street.

Source: https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Aldermen-to-discuss-secondhand-sellers-16930643.php

February 11, 2022

By Brian Petersheim Jr

A Maricopa man has been charged with allegedly stealing his ex-girlfriend’s engagement ring and pawning it.

According to police documents, on January 20, the suspect, Jamaude T. Williamson, 45, was originally arrested and charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend.

After Williamson’s arrest, additional charges were added, including trafficking stolen property and theft.

On Jan. 26, six days after Williamson’s arrest, his ex-girlfriend reported to police that her engagement ring was missing and told police that she believed Williamson had taken the ring while he was moving out.

According to a probable cause statement, the victim said that she bought the ring for about $3,000 after taxes.

After a search through an online database, police discovered that the ring was pawned by Williamson at Maricopa Jewelry and Pawn, located at 20800 North John Wayne Parkway Suite 109, on Jan. 18, two days before his arrest.

The database showed that Williamson received $400 for the ring, police say.

Source: https://www.inmaricopa.com/police-update-theft-charges-added-after-false-imprisonment-arrest/

January 23, 2022

By Chuck Morris

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – An employee with a company that cleans cars at Nashville International Airport has been charged with theft after he was arrested on outstanding felony warrants.

Police said Antonio Howse, 33, was arrested on Jan. 12 and found to be in possession of a stolen firearm which he confessed to taking from a valet vehicle at the airport. He was working with Steam Jet Nashville, which is tasked with detailing vehicles parked in valet at the airport at the vehicle owner’s request.

During the investigation, police queried through an online pawn database, police discovered Howse pawned a ring for $100 at a Nashville pawn shop on Nov. 13, 2021. Christina Wulforst reported her engagement ring was stolen from her vehicle parked at the airport between Nov. 9 and Nov. 13. Wulforst identified the ring as hers from a photo

Howse was charged with theft for allegedly taking the ring, valued at $4,700, from the vehicle.

Source: https://www.wsmv.com/news/davidson_county/valet-detailing-company-employee-charged-with-theft-from-vehicle-parked-at-airport/article_f0053a6a-7c82-11ec-873c-b7d2b69b98e5.html?block_id=998344

January 7, 2022

OLK CITY, Iowa — Roughly 26 years after it was stolen, a shotgun is back in the hands of its rightful owner in Polk City.

Keith Lister now has his Remington 870 after it was found in Arkansas.

Polk City Police say they received a call in early December from the Mena, Arkansas Police Department saying they had a gun that was stolen from Polk City. The Mena Police Department was notified after a pawn shop put the serial number of a gun through a nationwide reporting system to see if it was stolen.

After it was transferred between departments, it was given back to Lister on Wednesday.

“He was surprised, to say the least, when our department called and told him his gun was found 26 years later,” the department posted on Facebook.

Also in the photo is Sgt. Bode who was the lead on the case, who the department invited back for when it was reunited.

“This happened almost 26 years ago. And, you know, we held on to everything here at the police department and they, you know, they were entered as stolen. So, that was never gonna go away until they’re recovered,” Chief Jeremy Siepker said.

No suspects have been named in the case, so that part of it is still open.

Siepker also said this is a reminder to write down the serial numbers of guns owned the in event one is stolen. Without the serial number written down, this reuniting would have never happened, he said.

Source: https://www.kcci.com/article/polk-city-iowa-arkansasgun-stolen-from-returned-26-years-later/38697623