How can the rights of the owners of seized sewing machines be restored to them, given that some of them are unreachable, and is it permissible to use them in a project, considering their value as a debt?

Whoever wishes to repent from theft must return the stolen goods to their owners. If he is unable to identify them after a serious search, he should give the goods as charity. Whenever he finds the owners, he should give them the choice between receiving back the equivalent of what was taken from them, or its value, or accepting it as charity on their behalf. He must also increase his acts of righteousness. It is not a condition for the validity of repentance to inform the owners of the stolen goods about the theft; rather, it is sufficient to return them by any means. The thief's participation in a project using these tools contradicts repentance; instead, he must promptly return them to their owners. If he is unable to reach them, he should do what has been mentioned.