I recall going into a pawn shop and seeing a 2.5 ton central A/C condenser unit sitting there with a price tag on it. Brand new, the hacksawed copper lines were still bright. Probably swiped from one of the houses being built in the area, before a new owner moved in.
To make it worse, the pawn shop also had an indoor pistol range, so the cops that frequented the place winked at that stuff.
Depending on the location, they may have been getting a kickback on the take.