Pawnshop dealers in Salem and Woodburn helped convict an Aurora man who smashed his way into a Hillsboro museum on Christmas Eve 2023 and stole more than $50,000 in gold and artifacts.

A Washington County jury found Vincent Charles Roberts II, 35, guilty on Aug. 7 of second-degree burglary, first-degree aggravated theft, first-degree theft and first-degree criminal mischief, OregonLive reported.

Roberts used a sledgehammer to break display cases at the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals, a Smithsonian Affiliate that houses more than 20,000 specimens and draws roughly 25,000 visitors a year. Among its holdings: 107 gold pieces from the F. John Barlow collection.

When Roberts tried to fence the stolen items at pawnshops in Salem and Woodburn, dealers recognized the museum pieces and contacted authorities, the Washington County District Attorney's office said in a statement.

That tip became a key link in the prosecution's chain of evidence.

DNA recovered at the scene had already pointed detectives toward Roberts, according to Washington County investigators. They went on to connect him to a string of other crimes across the Willamette Valley, though details of those cases have not been released.

In a separate encounter with law enforcement before his arrest, officers found gold pieces from the museum on Roberts, authorities said. He had not yet been charged in the burglary.

Oregon law requires pawnbrokers to log every transaction and deliver copies to local police, a framework that puts shops on the front line of property-crime investigations.

Roberts faces sentencing on Wednesday, Aug. 26. The Washington County District Attorney's office has not indicated what sentence prosecutors will seek.

Residents who suspect someone is trying to sell stolen property can contact Salem Police at 503-588-6123 or submit an anonymous tip through the Mid-Valley Crime Stoppers at 503-363-8477.