Springfield Woman Pleads Guilty to Reselling Stolen Goods and Money Laundering

BOSTON – A Springfield woman pleaded guilty in federal court in Springfield on Dec. 16, 2022 to reselling stolen goods on eBay and money laundering. 

Mimi Mai, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods, four counts of money laundering, and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for April 7, 2023. 

Mai owned and operated a pawn shop in Holyoke, Mass., called EZ Exchange.  Mai purchased stolen goods from people she knew had stolen the items and resold them on eBay at a price well above what she had paid the sellers. The stolen goods included a variety of household goods, including power tools, electronic devices, sunglasses, and beauty and personal care products. Between 2018 and 2021, Mai earned more than $2.1 million from the sale of items she had listed for sale as “new” on eBay. Mai then used her eBay earnings to buy property in Florida. 

The charges of interstate transportation of stolen goods and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of at least 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Holyoke Police Chief David Pratt made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Springfield Police Department, New England State Police Information Network and investigators from Home Depot, CVS, Target and Stop & Shop. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Curley of Rollins’ Springfield Branch Office.