Julian Helps to Recover Stolen Coins
Coinosaurus
Posts: 9,631 ✭✭✭✭✭
Score one for the good guys -- seateddimevarieties.com/DailyBlog.htm -- relevant part, written by Gerry Fortin, extracted here:
A huge shout out goes to Julian Leidman for recovering the 1871 NGC MS62 25c and 1871 PCGS MS62 CAC 50c that went missing in Silver Spring, Maryland before Christmas. The two coins, still residing in their holders, walked into Julian's Bonanza Coin Shop on Thursday morning. Julian quietly called 911 with the Montgomery County police arriving shortly there after. A woman was arrested.
I received a phone from Julian and Officer Kevin Christmon (Montgomery County Police) from the Bonanza Coin Shop. Julian was calm and simply said, "I have your coins, here is the police officer." While on the phone, Office Christmon confirmed the PCGS and NGC serial numbers against the email alert that I had sent to Julian. This police officer was top notch and immediate inquired as to who was the victim of the crime for subsequent legal actions. I made clear that the victim was the GFRC customer as the two coins had been paid for and stolen during delivery to his home. The officer took the customer's contact information and promptly called this individual after wrapping up with me.
Within an hour, I received a follow-up call from Officer Christmon. He had contacted the GFRC customer and learned that he lived only three blocks away from the Silver Spring police station. The customer went to the police station to retrieve his coins while the officer interrogated the woman.
The woman initially claimed that the coins were discovered on a sidewalk in College Park. Of course, the story made no sense. I shared with the officer the date of the coin's attempted delivery by Silver Spring USPS carrier (USPS Tracking evidence) which appeared to negate the woman's story. Later in the day, the GFRC customer called me to report the events in the Silver Spring police station. The woman was book and charged. After a two hour interrogation, she confessed to the coins being stolen by a worker at the Silver Spring Post Office. The police will be launching an investigation.
The GFRC customer had made several visits to the post office to speak with postmaster and his carrier. No one knew anything and eventually, they refused to speak with my customer on subsequent visits.
Both GFRC and my customer are so relieved with this development. I'm sure this is not the first time that Julian Leidman has called the local police when stolen coins appeared in the Bonanza Coin Shop. I can't thank Julian enough for his quick actions.
Comments
Great news and kudos to Julian. Disturbing the a SSPO worker stole them.......
Best, SH
A lot of holiday temps this time of year. They have less to lose.
From 1976 to 1981 I worked at Coins of Laurel in Laurel, Maryland and we worked closely with Julian on many occasions. He was the go to guy to move bags of 90% and gold scrap during the big PM run up during that period. I bought quite a few coins from him for my personal collection at the various coin shows around Maryland.
In every aspect he was honest, fair, not grumpy (like most of the big dealers were around some of the small dealers) and a great business man. He knows his coins and he has the best ethics I've seen in a dealer.
I'm retired from the business now but if I were ever to regain my sight for small details and wanted to collect again, he's the one I would search out.
I applaud him for calling the police and recovering the stolen coins. He's a very, very good man.
nice catch julian
That's really nice !
Way to go Julian !
4 years in the slammer is a lot to lose.
But if you're a regular employee, you lose 4 years in the slammer PLUS the 25 years of service and cushy pension. If you are a minimum wage seasonal hire, much lower bar.
Great News for the 2020 season. Gives us the hope that honesty still is the best policy.
Best place to buy !
Bronze Associate member
I think that the issue is not the cost of getting caught, but the probability of committing the crime. The 25 year employee has demonstrated his credibility over several decades, while the new hire is a crapshoot.
Excellent!!
Absolutely fabulous!!
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
Great job, Julian 👍👌🎊🎆
Here’s the deal. These postal workers are NOT honest. Not all but oh boy do some like to steal. This story of theft of coins being delivered by the USPS appears all the time. Maybe they should screen their employees better rather than take the stance that it couldn’t be their workers as that’s always the attitude they have and love to stick in your face. IF they think they can steal it and get away with it, it appears they do.
What a great end to a bad story.
I wonder if Julian has recovered any coins from the burglary of his shop ( I think it was last year).
Here's a warning parable for coin collectors...
They need to prosecute the P/O employees federally. They'll do time if that happens!
The woman...... probably an extension of her probation, LOL.... Unless the feds hit her with federal conspiracy charges.
Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.
Contracted seasonal or ID carrying government employee?
Guessing the former, the latter would have too much to loose unless they were first year probbies.
An opinion.
Edit: De ja vue... there was another earlier thread on this.
Edit again: https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1030713/good-start-to-the-year-stolen-coins-recovered
I love it when stories end like this! NIce work by all involved!
I have known Julian for at least 47 years. He is a class act.
The fact that the coins were returned to the customer means no one is going to be prosecuted for this.
No one will be prosecuted??
That is beyond terrible.
It’s up to the harmed party (ies) to file charges.
Chalk one up for the stupid criminal thank god they didn’t remove from the plastic DOH 🙄
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/publishedset/209923
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/quarters/washington-quarters-major-sets/washington-quarters-date-set-circulation-strikes-1932-present/album/209923
Julian is a class act.
Well done
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Way to go Julian Leidman at Julian's Bonanza Coin Shop! Glad to see that the person got their coins and hopefully the thieves will do some kind of time behind bars.
Also, good job Officers at Silver Spring PD!
Very unfortunate to hear that a USPS Worker did the stealing but we all know unfortunately that there are bad apples everywhere.
Great work to all and especially to Julian!
Me thinks it was the woman's boyfriend who grabbed the coins at the post office.
"“Those who sacrifice liberty for security/safety deserve neither.“(Benjamin Franklin)
"I only golf on days that end in 'Y'" (DE59)
I don’t think that matters. I expect they will be prosecuted. One doesn’t escape prosecution because they got caught with the stolen goods and they were returned to their rightful owner. Also not sure whether Gerry or his customer would even have to press charges. Stealing mail is a federal offense. To the extent they would have to press charges, I hope and expect that they will.
I still don't know what dealer reported my coins that were stolen from the PO in a registered package in the area. I now have to wonder if it was Julian! Last I heard from the Postal Inspector is I might get my bit of uninsured loss back. They are prosecuting anyway!
Yay, one for the good guys !!!
The last year for USPS hires to have a pension was 1983. All subsequent do not. 401Ks.
Didn't you register the package with insurance ?
YEEEEESSSSSS!!!!!!! I would imagine that's what the buyer said knowing the coins are on their way back to their rightful owner.So great to hear of a recovery!
"I made clear that the victim was the GFRC customer as the two coins had been paid for and stolen during delivery to his home. The officer took the customer's contact information and promptly called this individual after wrapping up with me."
How is it that in this transaction that the victim is the customer. GFRC would have the liability until it is delivered and presumably his insurance would cover the customer. GFRC (or his insurance) is the victim.
If a package goes missing before delivery to me as a customer I expect the shipper to reimburse me and sort it out.
Latin American Collection
Once the buyer pays for the coins they belong to him, though the shipper is responsible for safe delivery.
If a guy has his home broken into, and his collection of coins are stolen, even if he is fully insured for the lost items, he is still considered the victim. if he is locked and loaded of course, he would be way less of a victim.
One would think that stolen USPS goods that are reimbursed by USPS now belong to USPS with the person suffering the loss having the option of returning the insurance money to get their goods back. Also it would seem that the victim (for purposes of filing criminal charges) becomes USPS once they have paid out the insurance claim.
The government is incapable of ever managing the economy. That is why communism collapsed. It is now socialism’s turn - Martin Armstrong
Yes, but at my cost. Lost my profit in the deal. Won't do that again!
Perhaps the USPS hadn't paid the claim yet. My coins are still in limbo. The buyer is hoping he is still able to get them.
This be avoided with registered mail. Just imagine the number of parcels to NGC or PCGS that could be stolen. You do not need to even mention what is it, just the address is enough clue to the bad guys...
Great to hear this. Julian is top notch. I had my first transaction with him this year and it was very smooth.
Disagree. Until the package is delivered the transaction is not complete and the seller still has the liability. Having your house broken into is apples and oranges as the coins were already in your possession and no transaction was open between you and a seller.
Latin American Collection
Yes, the seller still has the liability to deliver your coins safely (FOB is rarely used in non commercial transactions.)
But ownership belongs to the buyer presuming he has paid for the coins. It might be different if a seller such as heritage mails the coins before payment is tendered.
In the case of the enhanced proof silver eagles recently, the recipient would clearly be the victim if the coins went missing, though he would have received his $65 back from the Mint.
FOB is the most common method used in commercial transactions under agency law. It depends on who the shipper is an agent of. Wal-Mart does not take ownership of a truck of Frosted Flakes until it is delivered at their warehouse. It is GAAP to account for "goods in transit" as a part of standard inventory evaluation. If Wal-Mart picks it up at the manufacturers warehouse, title passes at that point.
I would be shocked if dealers on this forum took a view that they have no liability for a coin once they passed it to USPS especially as their insurance is the one covering the transaction nearly ensuring that legally that USPS is viewed as the sellers agent.
Latin American Collection
You must have missed my first line.
Yes, dealers are responsible to have the customers coins safely shipped to the recipient.
Same is true of the third party graders when they are returning coins.
Had my bullion stolen by the weekend temp. It was marked delivered in front of my house and the temp kept the package for herself while making my wife signed for my other packages. Seller's insurance and usps won't cover since it was "delivered". Postal inspector was contacted via email and chatted over the phone. An investigation was launched only to have a canned email response they gave up half year later.
This is when an angry button would be helpful. I mean, how many times have I checked the electronic signature line vs. the actual box? Fortunately I track important packages closely, but my husband would not notice at all.
Good news. Build more Jails! Throw the book at the Federal post office worker story is true.
100% Positive BST transactions
News such as this is always encouraging. Kudos to the dealer.
As far as who "owns" coins stolen during a USPS shipment. It's simple: who does USPS expect to file the claim?
The government is incapable of ever managing the economy. That is why communism collapsed. It is now socialism’s turn - Martin Armstrong
The feds (especially postal inspectors) should be involved in this one as it is a federal offense to steal mail.
Actually the USPS has their own police(inspectors). Other law enforcement is not used as far as I know.
Edit to add...I guess I should say when an insurance claim is made. I thought about it after I wrote and the police are involved in this case.