WASHINGTON STATE COMPUTER THEFTS Police hit South Seattle store, looking for stolen electronics:

Friday, June 26, 2009
Last updated 5:48 p.m. PT

Police hit South Seattle store, looking for stolen electronics

By CASEY MCNERTHNEY
SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF

Police confiscated more than 300 computers and dozens of electronic accessories Friday afternoon from a South Seattle computer-repair shop that investigators say was trafficking in stolen goods.

The nondescript storefront, in the 7600 block of Rainier Avenue South, was one of three related locations South Precinct detectives searched Friday.

Police also searched the home of a man who ran the store and his storage locker, sources said.

The man running the business was getting stolen merchandise and selling it on Internet sites, including eBay, according to a police source. Officers did not discuss many details of the bust.

The bulk of the computers confiscated in the three searches came from the storefront, according to police. By 1:30 p.m. - a half-hour after officers with a moving truck and van arrived - three pallets were filled with more than 200computers and dozens of boxed parts. Officers had to call for three more pallets.

Detectives said it would take at least a week to sort out the items and determine exactly how many were stolen.

South Precinct officers were at the store about 2 p.m. Thursday with a search warrant. Officers turned away some people coming to pick up computers that had been repaired.

Police said warrants were requested for the storage locker and the man's home and a secondary search warrant was sought Thursday afternoon for the store. Officers received the secondary warrant Friday.

None of the search warrants was made public in court files Friday.

Officers guarded the building overnight and kept people from entering. But few people noticed the police activity Friday.

About 12:30 p.m. Friday, about a half-dozen officers searched through papers and stacks of electronics.

When the evidence trucks arrived, more than dozen officer pulled out laptops, computers, monitors, VCRs, computer parts and other electronics.

Neighbors said a man and his son ran the business, and the computer repair shop was said to be licensed to the son.

"If you had problems with computers, you went to him," said neighbor Joseph "Pigg" Smith. "I'd see people go by, but I never went in."

The business had no signs other than a handwritten one on the door. A woman who answered the number listed there did not answer questions and hung up.

Police spokesman Mark Jamieson said there was police activity at the location, but did not discuss the investigation Friday afternoon, other than saying it was ongoing.

Casey McNerthney can be reached at 206-448-8220 or caseymcnerthney@seattlepi.com. Follow his Twitter feed at twitter.com/caseymcnerthney.