2013 Numismatic Crimes: Coin Collecting A Dangerous Business
2013 Numismatic Crimes: Coin Collecting
A Dangerous Business
Better Safe Than Sorry
This blog entry is a follow up to one I posted last June entitled Numismatic Crime Increases: Coin Collecting A Deadly Business As Metals Prices Rise
I had constructed that blog entry after reading a story in the Washington Post and another article which labeled coin collecting "A Deadly Business".
Driven By Gold & Silver Prices
Thieves Target Coin Collections Source Washington Post
Gold Coin Collecting
A Deadly Business As Metals Prices Rise Source MineWeb
It seems numismatic crimes are continuing to escalate as thieves actually target coin dealers. So keeping the previous research in mind, lets take a look at the number of numismatic crimes that have happened in 2013. Once again I used a simple Google search and browsed YouTube for all numismatic crimes that have occurred since January 1, 2013. One only needs to scan this blog entry to realize security should be on everyone's mind these days.
While we were happy to hear that F.U.N. Continues To Make The List Of Best Secured Coin Shows it is important to note that securing your numismatic inventory and the safety of our F.U.N Member Dealers is of our utmost concern.
Be alert! Make security a priority! Most of the numismatic crimes noted within this post did not happen at a coin show. They happened at the shop, at home, in a parking lot, in transit, or at a retail store. We want you SAFE!
September 2013
Suspects in custody for theft of gold, silver coins
Suspects in custody for theft of gold, silver coins
LANDERS - Five people were arrested in the past month on suspicion of stealing $150,000 in gold and silver coins from a Landers house. The coins were stolen Aug. 7 from a house in the 60700 block of Adele Road.
Robby Sims, 59, of Landers, was the primary suspect, and an arrest warrant was issued for him on a charge of grand theft. As part of their investigation, deputies searched a house in the 55800 block of Flamingo Road in Flamingo Heights Aug. 13. They identified two additional suspects and found $3,900 in stolen coins, Detective Erik Smoot wrote in a news release.
Arrest warrants were issued for Timothy Krey, 53, and Brenda Klein, 63, both of Flamingo Heights.
Both were identified as suspects in another theft: Smoot wrote they were captured on surveillance video stealing a piece of jewelry while they sold the stolen coins at Gateway Pawn in Yucca Valley.
Krey was arrested Aug. 15 and Klein was arrested Aug. 22. They were booked on charges of grand theft and receiving stolen property.
Meanwhile, the original suspect, Sims, had become the suspect in a separate crime: an Aug. 20 felony vandalism at the Mojave Market in Flamingo Heights, where he allegedly caused more than $16,000 in property damage.
The investigation into the stolen coins continued into September, and on Thursday, deputies served a search warrant at a house in the 56000 block of Tracy Boulevard in Flamingo Heights. They arrested two more suspects and found more than $4,100 in stolen coins.
“Detectives are actively working on leads to recover the additional stolen coins,” Smoot wrote. Anyone who has information or who bought coins from any of the suspects is asked to call Smoot at (760) 366-4175.
Continue Reading At The Source Hidesert Star
Man chased, tackled after robbing coin shop
Man chased, tackled after robbing coin shop
A Pierce County man is in police custody after he robbed a local coin shop in downtown Port Orchard Monday afternoon.
But it was the efforts of several people - including the coin shop owner - who nab the robber until police arrived.
After the robbery, the man left the store with several coins, only to be pursued by several people along Frederick Avenue. The man pulled out a knife, but the group tackled and wrestled the robber to the ground near the Port Orchard Pavilion.
During the struggle, a female bystander called 911 to alert Port Orchard police to the incident.
Continue Reading At The Source Port Orchard Independant
August 2013
Banknotes and Coins Stolen from Dealers Hotel Room During ANA
Banknotes and Coins Stolen from Dealers Hotel Room During ANA
Rosemont, IL police are investigating the theft of over $400,000 in banknotes and coins taken from a dealer attending the ANA and staying at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Rosemont. The dealer reported that some person or persons removed a safe containing the banknotes and coins from his hotel room.
Stolen: Banknotes from Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, China, Brazil and several American bank note proofs. Coins from Argentina, Venezuela, Spain, Poland, Italy and Eritrea.
Rare Argentina: Rio de la Plata 8 Reales 1813J PTS Provincias {Error Prorvincias) Royal order from Cuba which is the order of Finlay a big breast star badge in silver and enamel Order of Egypt a big breast star in silver and enamel
Anyone with information should contact: Doug Davis 817-723-7231 doug@numismaticcrimes.org
Stolen/Lost Federal Express Package Containing Obsolete Notes
Stolen/Lost FedEx Package Containing "Obsolete Notes"
A package being shipped from Tennessee to Oakland California has been either lost or stolen. The package showed to have been received in Oakland but was never delivered to the recipient.
The package contained the following notes: $5 Bank of W. Florida Appalachicola #145, $5 State of Florida St. John’s Jacksonville #4951, $10 State of Florida Bank of St. John’s #193, $100 State of Florida Tallahassee #1069, $1 Southern Bank of Georgia Bainbridge #1053, $2 Merchants Planters Bank State of Georgia #993, $10 Savannah, Georgia Merchants and Planters Bank #518close, $1 Georgia Bank of Morgan #1280, $2 Georgia Bank of Morgan #25112, $5 Georgia Bank of Morgan #335, $10 Georgia Bank of Morgan #255, $100 Bank of State of Georgia Savannah #730, $20 Mississippi & Alabama Real Estate Banking Co. #2221, $3 Bank of Washington North Carolina #2845, $4 Bank of Washington North Carolina #67, $5 Bank of Washington North Carolina , $20 State of North Carolina Raleigh #2787, $3 Omaha City Western Exchange #717, $5nsn Bank of Nashville TN, $5nsn Bank of America TN, $10nsn Dandridge Bank TN, $10 Lawrenceburg Bank TN, $20 Dobson North Carolina #306,
Any dealer or collector with information should contact: Doug Davis 817-723-7231 doug@numismaticcrimes.org
$200,000 In Coins Stolen From Residence
$200,000 In Coins Stolen From Residence
Northern Indiana authorities are searching for a thief who made off with some coins that amount to much more than loose change. Lake County Police say somebody stole 124 platinum Canadian Maple Leaf coins from a Crown Point, Ind., home on Tuesday. The 1-ounce coins are worth a total of $200,000. A $10,000 reward of is being offered for the return of all of the coins or information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals involved in the theft. Anyone with information is asked to call Lake County Police at (219) 755-3334
Source NBC Chicago
Coins, jewelry taken during Westby burglary
Coins, jewelry taken during Westby burglary Westby police are asking for the public's help solving a burglary earlier this month where valuable coins and jewelry were stolen. Click Here to read article and obtain list of stolen coins Anyone with information is asked to call Vernon County Crime Stoppers at 608-637-8477, www.vernoncrimestoppers.com or on Facebook. Tipsters can also text-a-tip to 274637 (CRIMES) and typing the keyword of “VERN” and the tip in the message box. Callers may be eligible for cash rewards up to $1,000.00 and will remain confidential.
Coins, jewelry strewn across roadway lead deputies to burglarized home
Coins, jewelry strewn across roadway lead deputies to burglarized home JOHNSON COUNTY, Ind. - A Johnson County sheriff’s deputy helped discover a home had been ransacked after coming upon people picking up coins and jewelry in the roadway this week. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said on Friday, a deputy was dispatched to State Road 135 and County Road 500 West on a report of a traffic hazard. When he got there, the deputy said he saw a couple of elderly individuals and another male picking up material from the roadway. He said as he exited his car and began walking toward the people, the elderly pair decided to leave the scene. That’s when the deputy noticed a large amount of loose change on the roadway, and not glass, which was originally reported. Continue ReadingHere
July 2013
Giuseppe Miceli Killing
Giuseppe Miceli killing: Man in court over coin dealer death A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a 72-year-old coin and medal trader in Northampton. Giuseppe Miceli, who ran his trading business from home, was found dead with head injuries at his bungalow in Bants Lane, Duston, on 13 July. Mark Ellson, 40, of no fixed address, attended a hearing at Northampton Crown Court earlier.
He will next appear at Birmingham Crown Court for a plea and case management hearing on 28 October
Safe Filled With Gold & Silver Stolen
Click to viewSafe filled with gold, silver stolen
A vintage safe filled with $250,000 worth of silver bars and gold coins has been stolen, and the owner is offering a $5,000 cash reward for its return.
Thieves caught stealing ATM machine
Wed, Jul 24, 2013 Thieves caught stealing ATM machine in Tennessee WPVI - Philadelphia
June 2013
Clerk Slain In Gold Store Robbery
Clerk slain in gold-store robbery
Someone walked into a cash-for-gold business and started shooting Friday killing the clerk and making off with cash and valuables, according to Albuquerque police.
Safe, Gold Bars, Gun, Coins and Vehicle Stolen From Gates Avenue Home
Montclair Crime: Safe, Gold Bars, Coins Stolen
Wednesday, Jun 05, 2013 A burglary at a Gates Avenue home while a family was away for the weekend, as well as thefts and vandalism, in the latest Montclair police blotter:
Police responded to the 100 block of Gates Avenue of a burglary report on May 27. Officers were informed by the homeowner that they left for the weekend on Friday, May 24th at approx 11 p.m. When they returned on the evening of the 27th, they discovered their front door broken and the home burglarized. Entry was first attempted by ripping through the screened patio door. A side door was then damaged but entry not gained. Suspect(s) then came around to the front door and broke a pane of glass on the door and unlocked it. A heavy two foot by two foot safe (value $2000) was stolen. The first floor was heavily damaged from the safe being dragged across the floor. The safe contained the following: A Rolex Watch, - Unknown amount of Gold Bars, A Commemorative Coin Collection with an unknown amount of coins with an unknown value, A German Luger handgun Anyone with information contact Det. Gulbin at 973 509 4739.
Police Investigating Coin Theft
Police Investigating Coin Theft
By: WTAJ News Updated: June 3, 2013
BROAD TOP TOWNSHIP, BEDFORD COUNTY - Police are investigating the theft of several hundred dollars worth of coin from a home during May. According to Police, the actor(s) removed a collection which included Susan B. Anthony, Dollar, Silver Dollar, State Quarter, Bi-Centennial, and Wheat Penny coins from a strong box safe. The collection is valued at more than $400. Anyone with information is asked to contact State Police in Bedford.
Best Friend Charged With Theft
Best friend’ charged with theft The arrest of a local man - accused of taking eight coins valued at $112,000 from a Lake Oconee antique collector and dealer - may bring the investigation of an 18-month-old theft to a close. But the circumstances surrounding the missing coins sound more like a case of whodunit: In this case, the victim is deceased and the person described as “one of his best friends” is accused of the crime.
May 2013
J & J Coins Robber Resembled Delivery Driver
J & J Coins robber resembled delivery driver, police say May 20, 2013 HAMMOND Police responded to an armed robbery Monday morning at J & J Coins after a man dressed similar to a delivery driver pulled an apparent sawed-off shotgun from a box, officials said. No one was injured in the robbery at the store, 7019 Calumet Ave., Hammond police Lt. Richard Hoyda said. Two people were in the store when the incident occured at 9:15 a.m., Hoyda said. The suspect is described as a black man, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing 200 pounds with black hair and brown eyes and wearing a brown shirt and pants with dark-colored boots, Hoyda said. A handgun was taken from the store during the robbery, along with several coins, Hoyda said.
The suspect is believed to have fled in a green, four-door Ford Taurus heading east on 171st Street. Brian Hoogeveen, the son of the owner of J & J Coins, said the suspect arrived at the store about 8:10 a.m. and stayed in the store for an hour before pulling the gun. Hoogeveen said the store is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Hammond Police Department detectives at (219) 852-2906. Video news clip Hammond Coin & Jewelry Robbery
Suspect Charged In Firearms, Coin Theft
Suspect charged in firearms, coins theft Gloves left at scene help crack case Wednesday, May 29, 2013 5:00 pm Investigators have named a suspect in a theft that occurred in the spring of last year. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office says a Marianna resident stole $25,000 worth of firearms and coins from another Marianna man who had gone out of town for an extended period to attend his brother’s funeral. Police say a pair of gloves left behind at the scene of the crime helped them crack the case.
Edward Allen Bundrick, 38, is charged with grand theft of firearms, burglary of a dwelling while armed, and with simple grand theft in the case. The victim had been away from home since late last March, and discovered that the guns were missing on his return in mid-April. Continue Reading Here
Gold shipment valued at $625,000 goes missing at Miami airport
Gold shipment valued at $625,000 goes missing at Miami airport
(Reuters) A shipment of gold with a declared value of $625,000 has gone missing in a suspected heist at Miami International Airport, authorities said on Thursday. A theft incident report from the Miami-Dade Police Department said the gold, packed in a box, arrived at Miami International early Tuesday morning on an American Airlines flight from Guayaquil, Ecuador. Miami International serves as a major trans-shipment point for large quantities of gold produced in South America and exported primarily to Switzerland for refining.
The plane's cargo was unloaded but the box containing the gold disappeared after apparently being loaded onto a motorized luggage cart or tug, the report said. The cart was found in front of a gate of the same terminal were the flight from Ecuador was unloaded, about an hour after workers emptied the cargo hold, but without the box containing the gold.
The police incident report did not say who owned the gold or what its final destination was and an American Airlines security official at the airport declined to comment on the case, saying only that it was being investigated by the FBI. "The FBI is aware of the situation," FBI spokesman Michael Leverock told Reuters in an email. Miami has seen the trans-shipment of gold rise sharply in recent years as investors have turned to gold and its price has risen. Gold is Miami's No. 1 import valued at almost $8 billion last year, mostly from Mexico and Colombia, and almost all destined for Switzerland, according to World City, a Miami-based publication that tracks trade data. Source Reuters
Woman Arrested For Coin Theft
Woman arrested for coin theft May 29, 2013 KWCH 12 Eyewitness News (WICHITA, Kan.) A woman has been arrested accused of taking a charity coin collection board. It happened at a restaurant in the 1100 block of north Broadway Tuesday afternoon. Detectives saw a woman take the coin board off the restaurant's counter. Officers arrested the woman in the parking lot. She was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on misdemeanor theft charges. Our news partners at KFDI report the loss was valued at $0.51. Police said the coin collection board belonged to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Housekeeper Charged In Theft Of Coins Worth $30G
Housekeeper charged in theft of coins worth $30G May 20, 2013 SCARSDALE A 26-year-old housekeeper is accused of stealing 21 gold coins worth $30,534 from her employer.
Araceli Acevedo of White Plains was arrested Friday in connection with the theft, police said, and was charged with third-degree grand larceny, a felony. Investigators said Acevedo told them she’d sold all but seven of the coins - which police recovered - to a White Plains jeweler. She was being held on $2,500 bail and is due in Village Court on Wednesday. The coins were being kept in a bank safe-deposit box and were removed to the house for appraisal in the fall. The homeowner left them in a bag in a hallway closet and noticed they were missing May 2. Acevedo had worked for her for five years, police said. Police said the housekeeper told them she’d acted alone.
April 2013
Ed's Coin Store Robbed at Gun Point
Ed's Coin Store robbed at Gun Point Robbery in Palm Desert California
Man sentenced in coin theft scheme
Man sentenced in coin theft scheme April 18, 2013 MARIETTA A Parkersburg man was sentenced Wednesday to 90 days in the Washington County Jail for his role in a scheme to break into the coin machines at a Belpre car wash. James M. Ashwell, 22, was caught Sept. 9 by the Belpre Police Department using a walkie-talkie to signal to an accomplice who was allegedly cutting the lock off a coin machine at the Super Splash car wash near the Belpre Kroger. Continue Reading Here
Two Held in $20,000 Morrisville Coin Theft
Two held in $20,000 Morrisville coin theft April 23, 2013 MORRISVILLE Two men are accused of breaking into an armored car warehouse in Morrisville where one of them worked and taking $20,000 worth of coins Monday. Police arrested John Early Haley, 21, and James Weldon Haley, 25, both of Bragg Street in Raleigh, Monday afternoon after questioning at police headquarters, according to an online arrest report. Arrest warrants accuse James Haley, whose address is listed as 209 Bragg St., of felony larceny and embezzlement from the Loomis Fargo coin-handling facility at 251 Dominion Drive, saying he worked there and had been entrusted with receiving the coins. John Haley, who is listed as living at 207 Bragg St., faces felony larceny and breaking and entering charges. James Haley also is charged with two counts of breaking into the Loomis Fargo facility, once on March 28 and once on March 30. Read more News Observer
Roof-top burglar steals from rare coin store at Tacoma’s Freighthouse Square
Roof-top burglar steals from rare coin store at Tacoma’s Freighthouse Square
In minutes, the thief cut through the ceiling in Freighthouse Square and used a rope to descend into the rare coin shop below and steal a bagful of its merchandise before he fled. The store surveillance video from Sunday morning shows the unmasked burglar’s climb, as well as his distinct receding hairline and mustache. The alarm at American Rare Coins & Collectibles, 2501 E. D St., went off about 1:30 a.m. and officers were there minutes later, according to Tacoma police. No suspect was found. Owner Raymond Brandt said thousands of dollars in rare coins were stolen.
Worker charged in reported theft of $18,640 in coins
Worker charged in reported theft of $18,640 in coins April 2, 2013 A worker is charged in the reported theft of $18,640 worth of silver coins from a Burnsville home. Matthew Grant Pillar, 23, of St. Paul, is charged with one count of felony theft over $5,000. He pawned some of the coins at Pawn America in Burnsville. The homeowner said she discovered the missing coins on Feb. 14, when she returned home after staying in a hotel while a restoration company repaired water damage in the home. She’d been staying in the hotel since Feb. 4, according to the criminal complaint.
She told police there were 25 sleeves of coins hidden under some blankets when she left her home, and that each sleeve was worth $754.40. Police got the names of restoration-company employees who’d worked on the home. A cross-check of automated pawnshop records showed that Pillar had pawned two sleeves of coins matching the stolen coins’ description on Feb. 27, the complaint said. Pawn America verified the transaction, providing records and video. A Pawn America employee told police that Pillar had said he had “20 more sleeves” to sell, the complaint said.
Police served a search warrant at the address on his driver’s license and pawn records, which is where his parents live. They confirmed it was him in the Pawn America video, the complaint said. Pillar turned himself in to St. Paul police on March 18. Questioned by Burnsville police, he admitted to taking five sleeves of coins from the home but said he didn’t see any others there.
March 2013
Wrangell man accused of rare coin theft
Wrangell man accused of rare coin theft A Wrangell man is facing felony theft charges after he allegedly stole a bag of silver dollars worth more than $1,000 from a private residence. Lynn Raymond Marks, 47, of Wrangell, is alleged to have stolen the classic coins from a residence at Pa.
Russian Diplomat Booted For Stealing Banknotes
Russian Diplomat Booted For Stealing Banknotes By Jim Rutledge BALTIMORE, Md. Thousands of dollars of rare and collectible stolen banknotes were returned to two East Coast dealers March 14, after the notes were discovered months earlier in the possession of a Russian diplomat attending a Baltimore coin show. The diplomat has since been deported. Diplomat Georgy Valentinovich Kochetov, 49, identified as First Secretary of the Russian Consulate in Washington, D.C. on the U.S. State Department’s database, was caught stuffing hundreds of foreign, collectible banknotes into a shopping bag at the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Expo at the Baltimore Convention Center.
A witness, who was a coin dealer, watched Kochetov slip the currency into the white bag while he was perusing the banknotes at the booth of New York money memorabilia dealer Diego Paz. Owner of Chelsea Coins of New York, Paz was secretly alerted by a dealer who was set up near Paz’s booth at the November 2012 convention of 400 dealers. Baltimore police detective Wayne Spoksky, who is assigned to the department’s “pawn squad,” was at the show meeting with the Expo’s head of security, Kenny Mullin, when they were alerted to the possible thefts. Kochetov was taken into custody and escorted to the rear of the hall. In handcuffs, Spoksky began to interrogate Kochetov, who was uncooperative and remained silent. After repeated questioning, Kochetov finally revealed his name and identified himself as a Russian diplomat. While being questioned, he also admitted to stealing the banknotes, and made a plea to pay for them at “full price.” At no time, did Kochetov claim diplomatic immunity. It was only later that Spoksky was told to release Kochetov after he confirmed his identity and his diplomatic status. Continue Reading At The Source Antique Week
Business Says Coin Thief Returned To Store
Business says coin thief returned to store
Theft returns to Christopher's Rare Coin. Christopher's says a man who stole a rare coin from the store last month returned to the store and was recognized by employees.
$50K in Valuable Coins Stolen from Parking Lot
$50K in Valuable Coins Stolen from Parking Lot March 8, 2013 UNIONTOWN, Ohio It is being called a crime of opportunity. A man steals tens of thousands of dollars of gold and silver, without ever going into the store. Store surveillance video captured the theft. Police hope it helps catch the man who made off with the goods from the parking lot. The theft happened outside the Hartville Coin and Jewelry Store around 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning. Uniontown Police Chief Harold Britt said they are looking for a man who was turned away because the store was not open yet. At the same time, a store employee did not realized that a package, that was to be mailed, fell out of the trunk of the car and onto the parking lot. That package contained upwards of $50,000 worth of gold and silver coins and gold jewelry. “This is very unusual because they typically don’t transport items that way. It was just in a hurry and lack of attention,” Britt said. From the video, Britt said it was clear the man saw the package lying in the ground. It then shows the man getting into a vehicle and from the passenger side, swiping the package and driving off. Continue Reading At The sourceFox 8 News
February 2013
LaFayette Man Accused Of Stealing Gold Coins
LaFayette man accused of stealing gold coins and selling them to a Syracuse shop 2/2013 TOWN OF SULLIVAN A LaFayette man is accused of sealing 5 gold coins and selling them to a shop in Syracuse. Deputies say they arrested Stefan J. Kuczynski, 25, on Saturday for allegedly stealing five gold coins worth $5,000 from a home on Lucas Road in the Town of Sullivan. The burglary was reported in early January by the victim. Kuczynski allegedly sold the five coins to a shop in Syracuse. Deputies say they worked with the shop owner and one of its employees to identify the coins sold to them, along with copies of his Kuczynski’s license and sales agreements, a requirement for the transaction to take place. The shop owner was very cooperative during the investigation.
Kuczynski was taken into custody on Saturday by Sheriff’s Investigators who were inthe area of Oneida Lake Avenue in the Town of Sullivan, following up on another case. Kuczynski is charged him with burglary in the second degree and grand larceny in the third degree, both felonies.
Kuczynski was arraigned in the Town of Sullivan Court and remanded to the Madison County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash or $15,000 bond. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison for the burglary and 7 years in prison for the grand larceny.
Source CNY Central
RNC charge man in coin theft investigation
RNC charge man in coin theft investigation February 4, 2013 The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) General Investigation Section has arrested and charged a St. John’s man in relation to a theft of coins from a commercial business in the city. Ken Rees, 35, was arrested and charged with possession of property obtained by crime under the Criminal Code of Canada and possession of marijuana under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Police say he was arrested this morning without incident at his home. Rees had a lengthy criminal record, including break and entries and thefts. According to the RNC, sometime before 10:55 p.m., Jan. 10, entry was gained into a commercial business, East Coast Coins, at 36 Pearson St. Items stolen included coins and bank notes. East Coast Coins owner Rod O’Driscoll had offered a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of those involved in the robbery. O’Driscoll said Monday the reward likely helped in information coming forward. He’s not certain yet how many of the stolen coins have been recovered.
Robbers Make Off With Man's Valuable Coin Collection
Robbers Make Off With Man's Valuable Coin Collection
Robbers pushed their way into Steven Stoll's rural Iowa home, tied him up, and ransacked his place. Even though they got away with a lot of his possessions, a recent loss had Stoll react differently than many of us would.
Second man pleads guilty in $191,000 gold coin theft
Second man pleads guilty in $191,000 gold coin theft February 20, 2013 FORT EDWARD A 34-year-old Greenwich man who was one of two that repeatedly burglarized an elderly Hebron woman's home and stole $191,000 in gold coins and jewelry has pleaded guilty. The two went into the home on at least two occasions and stole 70 or so antique gold coins, selling them at pawn shops around the Northeast to buy heroin and other items. Thieverge, a logger, purchased a log skidder and Martin purchased a car, State Police said. Police were able to recover just three of the coins, some of them sold as far away as Atlantic City, N.J. The two also allegedly stole jewelry and were caught last September trying to sell some of it at a pawn shop in Rotterdam.
COIN THEFT: Man Walks Off With Valuable Coin
COIN THEFT: Man Walks Off With Valuable Coin Des Moines police are looking for a man who took off with a valuable coin in broad daylight. The store manager at Christopher’s Fine Jewelry on Merle Hay Road says someone stole a coin worth between $8,000 and $9,000. It happened Saturday afternoon around 1:00 p.m. The manager says the coins were out on the counters and the suspect put the coin in his pocket while an employee was checking the price of another coin.
The manager believes the suspect might try to pawn the coin at nearby shops. The coin is a Bust Dollar minted in 1800. The suspect is described as a white male, about five-foot-eight, and 180 pounds. He left the area in a white Ford Crown Victoria with a silver spotlight on it and a large black antenna on the roof of the car. Police are looking through surveillance video in hopes of finding some lead
January 2013
Colorado coin dealer faces federal fraud charges
01/17/2013 Colorado coin dealer faces federal fraud charges DENVER - A Colorado coin dealer is accused of taking $2.4 million from customers without delivering the coins they had ordered. Sixty-one-year-old James P. Burg, formerly of Fairplay, has pleaded not guilty to several counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering and failure to file tax returns. He was arrested in California in November and appeared in federal court in Denver this month.
According to the indictment, beginning on or about October 1, 2007, and continuing through and including on or about January 12, 2012, in Colorado and elsewhere, James P. Burg devised and intended to devise a scheme to defraud customers that ordered coins from a business known as Superior Discount Coins and Gold Run Investments and for obtaining money from those customers by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises. Burg took and received $2,464,099 from customers that ordered coins, and he failed to deliver the coins as promised.
As part of the scheme, Burg represented that he was the chief executive officer of a company known as Superior Discount Coins (SDC) and that SDC was in the business of selling coins. Burg also conducted business using a company known as Gold Run Investments (GRI) and represented that GRI was in the business of selling coins. Continue Reading Here
Thieves strike coin shop during blizzard
Thieves strike coin shop during blizzard Burglars took advantage of last week's snowstorm to break into a St. John's coin dealership. Rod O'Driscoll said he got a call Jan. 10 that the security alarm at his store - East Coast Coins - was set off around 11 p.m., during the height of the blizzard. Thieves made off with a 140-kilogram safe. O'Driscoll said the crooks must have assumed it contained gold. "When they came in and took the safe, there was no gold in the safe, no gold jewelry," he said. "We suspect that's what they wanted, but they got a very extensive collection of Newfoundland coins, Canadian bank notes, and Canadian silver coins."
O'Driscoll said the contents of the safe, which are traceable, are worth about $50,000. "These were collector items, which are pretty much useless on the market unless you're selling to a collector," he said. O'Driscoll said at least two people would have been involved in the robbery. Continue Reading at Source CBC News Canada
Two charged in coin theft
Jan 19, 2012 Two charged in coin theft Peel Regional Police have arrested a second man in connection with the theft of rare gold and silver coins at Mississauga's Pearson International Airport but they are still looking for a third suspect. Police began their probe on Oct. 30 after a man was robbed at the airport. The culprits made off with gold and silver coins valued at about $130,000.
It's believed that three men involved in the operation spotted a small businessman from Fredericton, New Brunswick as he shopped for coin deals in Toronto on the airport strip. They followed him for several days. A small bag he was carrying, filled with the coins, was stolen as he was preparing to board his plane to return to the east coast. Police allege that one man distracted the dealer while another stole the coins and handed them to a third man who was waiting outside in a car. Police believe the three suspects have specifically targeted dealers attending high-end coin shows. Continue reading Mississauga News Canada
Three arrests following historical coin and medal theft in Bromley
Three arrests following historical coin and medal theft in Bromley THREE people have been arrested following the theft of antique coins and medals worth up to £80,000. Overnight on January 12 a car belonging to a dealer parked in a street in the Bromley North area, was broken into and two crates containing historical coins and medals were stolen. The dealer had been due to attend an exhibition in the Midlands the following day and the haul is valued to be worth between £50,000 and £80,000.
Opinions Anyone?
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Television Documentaries Regarding Numismatic Crimes
Masterminds 3.18 Money Maker
Wesley Weber was a Canadian who succeeded in counterfeiting the Canadian hundred-dollar bill. Because of this, many stores stopped accepting $100 dollar bills until the note was redesigned. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, they are the highest quality computer produced counterfeits of Canadian currency to date.
Masterminds 2.13 Making Millions Steven Jory was the most successful counterfeiter England had ever seen. Starting in the late nineties, he flooded the British market with fifty million pounds.
Masterminds: The Anthon Forgeries Mark Hoffman made a career for himself as one of the most skilled forgers in American history
Masterminds: Fools Gold The Bre-X goldmine scam in Indonesia that swindled thousands of investors out of their life savings.
Masterminds: The Dunbar Heist In 1997, six men entered the Dunbar Armoured facility in Los Angeles and pulled off the largest cash robbery in U.S. history: 18.9 million dollars of virtually untraceable bills.
American Greed Albert Talton & His Funny Money
CIA Archives: The Hollow Coin - Espionage Case of Rudolf Abel (1958)
The Hollow Nickel Case (also known as The Hollow Coin), refers to the method that the Soviet Union spy Vilyam Genrikhovich Fisher (aka Rudolph Ivanovich Abel) used to exchange information between himself and his contacts, including Mikhail Nikolaevich Svirin and Reino Häyhänen. On June 22, 1953, a newspaper boy (fourteen-year-old newsie Jimmy Bozart), collecting for the Brooklyn Eagle, at an apartment building at 3403 Foster Avenue in Brooklyn, New York, was paid with a nickel (U.S. five cent piece) that felt too light to him. When he dropped it on the ground, it popped open and contained microfilm inside. The microfilm contained a series of numbers.
Pawn Stars How To Spot A Fake
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