Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – Police have broken up what they call one of the biggest fencing operations in Onondaga County. It was being run by a 77-year-old man out of his house on North State Street.
Police say drug addicts would feed their habit by stealing from others and selling the items to 77-year old Gerald Workman.
Police say Workman would turn around and sell the stolen items for significantly more.
Inside his home at 1222 North State Street,
police took photos of what they found: tools, a large number of guns in the basement and a safe with $300,000 worth of jewelry and collectible coins which police believe is stolen.
They also removed approximately 40 guns from Workman's home; all but one is legal. Police at this point don't know if any of them are stolen guns.
Syracuse Police and Onondaga County Sheriff's Detectives are now sorting through all the items, and have the tedious task of checking reports of thefts, and trying to return any stolen merchandise to rightful owners.
Workman was charged criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of stolen property, city ordinance failures, and not having trigger locks on all those guns.
NewsChannel 9 spoke with Workman Friday, who said police are telling lies; he says he’s a collector and even has the assassination papers of Abraham Lincoln.
