Walt Mauro, one of the four co-defendants in the Top Dollar Pawn money-laundering case, was sentenced Tuesday to five years in the Colorado Department of Corrections with a three-year minimum for parole.

Each of the four defendants — Daria Mauro, Walt Mauro, Mischa Jargowsky and Jack Jargowsky — face 29 charges, including a pattern of racketeering and money laundering, after their arrests in 2022.

The defendants were accused of laundering money over four years at Top Dollar Pawn locations in Colorado Springs and Pueblo. Investigators said the operation resulted in the transfer of more than $1.3 million in stolen goods.

Court records obtained by The Gazette allege Top Dollar Pawn employees knowingly accepted stolen goods still in packaging from “boosters” and would sell those items in their stores or on eBay at a profit. Some of these items would still have the security tag attached.

Colorado law requires that pawnbrokers must be given a receipt of purchase on items still considered new and in packaging to confirm that these items were not stolen.

Pawnbrokers also are required to keep an electronic record of these items and the identification of the seller. Records allege that Top Dollar Pawn ignored both requirements.

Undercover law enforcement officers attempted to sell new and unopened goods to multiple pawn shops in the area. According to 4th Judicial District Court Judge David Gilbert, other pawn shops declined the sales, in accordance with the law. Top Dollar Pawn bought items from undercover officers on several occasions, with few questions asked.

According to Gilbert, at one point, an officer encouraged Mauro to stop accepting items without following Colorado law, which Mauro ignored.

Before the sentencing, Mauro gave a brief statement in which he asked for probation and community service instead of seeing jail time. During his statement, visibly shaken and teary-eyed Mauro claimed the operation was “never about the money” and that the staff of the pawn shop “did not take advantage of customers.”

“I have realized I just liked to work,” Mauro said. “I could have been successful anywhere.”

Since his arrest in 2022, Mauro no longer has desire to work in the pawn shop industry again, said his attorney Cindy Hyatt. He has been working in construction and is able to provide for his family.

Hyatt argued for probation and community service, claiming that it would be enough, and jail time would cause hardships to Mauro’s family. Mauro did not have a criminal record prior to his 2022 arrest.

Judge Gilbert told Mauro that he didn’t believe the lack of awareness over consequences of his actions. Gilbert said the operation fed the habits of drug dealers and users, and likely caused overdoses within the community.

Gilbert said to the courtroom that probation and community service would undermine respect for the law and depreciate the seriousness of the crime.

The other three defendants are each at different places in their court proceedings.

Court records show that Mischa Jargowsky went to trial in February, was found guilty of three counts of money laundering and one count of pattern of racketeering, and was sentenced to eight years of community corrections. However, in a hearing in May, her sentence was postponed by Gilbert because of a continuing appeal.

Jack Jargowsky has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is to begin trial on July 8.

There are no longer criminal filings against Daria Mauro in El Paso County, according to court records, implying her case was dismissed by the District Attorney’s Office.