Ex-Pawnbroker Guilty Of Robbery, Kidnapping

The former CEO and president of a chain of local pawnshops was convicted yesterday of kidnapping and robbery for his role in a 1993 Mercer Island robbery that left a couple locked in the trunk of their car and robbed of $500,000 in cash and jewels.

A second defendant also was found guilty by jurors, who deliberated almost four days before rendering verdicts in the five-week trial in King County Superior Court.

David Israel, 36, of Bellevue, and Willie James King, 36, of Everett and California, were each convicted of two counts of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of first-degree robbery with a deadly weapon and one count of first-degree conspiracy to commit robbery.

Israel, who prosecutors alleged during the trial masterminded the robbery, also was convicted of one count of money laundering.

Israel, former owner-operator of Pawn X-Change, and King could receive at least 13 years in prison for the more serious charges of kidnapping and robbery when sentenced next month.

"We appreciate that the jury worked hard and struggled with a lot of evidence and a lot of testimony to reach this verdict," said King County Deputy Prosecutor Barbara Mack.

Craig McDonald, an attorney for King, said he expects his client "will want to file a notice of appeal in this matter."

An attorney for Israel declined comment.

Jurors also declined to comment on the case.

The key issue during the trial was whether Israel, a former resident of Mercer Island, set up the home-invasion robbery of Jerry and Angelina Burtenshaw. Israel had been raised down the street from the couple, and as a child had played with their children and attended grade school and high school with them.

Angelina Burtenshaw, according to testimony, was a dear friend of Israel's mother, and the longtime friends stayed in contact even after the Burtenshaws moved to another part of the island.

Mack alleged during the trial that Israel betrayed his former neighbors by masterminding the robbery of their home in early December 1993.

He later laundered the $500,000 in money and jewelry taken during the robbery, the prosecution alleged.

But Israel's attorneys insisted their client got entangled in the Burtenshaw robbery after he refused to accept the stolen merchandise from another man accused of being linked to the robberies, Vincent Bryant, 29.

Bryant, Israel's attorneys argued, threatened to harm their client and his family, then sought to extort money from him.

Mack pointed out, however, that bank records indicated Israel wrote several checks on the the Pawn X-Change account for large sums of money to himself on several occasions shortly before Bryant made large deposits in his savings account - though Bryant had no known source of income.

Bryant is awaiting trial in the robberies. He was charged with multiple counts of robbery, kidnapping and assault.

Ronald K. Fitten's phone message number is 206-464-3251. His e-mail address is: rfitten@seattletimes.com