Smash and grab/Omaha
logger7
Posts: 8,566 ✭✭✭✭✭
Date: 5/22/2022
Type of Incident: VEHICLE BURGLARY
Investigating Agency: Omaha ,NE PD
Location: OMAHA, NE
Report Number: AS17021
Details:
Dealer David Peter, owner of Cornhusker Coin, was the victim of a vehicle burglary
after leaving the Omaha, NE coin show. The victim stopped for only several minutes
and suspects gained access to his trunk and removed the below listed coins and
bullion. The suspects were driving a blue Mazda and a gray unknown make and model vehicle. Suspects may have placed an unknown type of object in the door handle to prevent car from locking. Video coverage is being reviewed to provide additional information.
Gold
16 - 2022 1 oz gold buffs
9 - 1 oz gold eagles
(7 - 1987, 1 - 2006, 1 - 1999)
1 - gold Krugerrand
61 - 1/10 oz gold eagles (tube of 2010?)
10 - 1 oz gold maples (4 - 2022, 6 backdates)
4 - 1 oz gold Rand refinery bars
Silver
1 - 100 oz silver Volcambi bar
32 - 2016 1 oz silver Canadian maples
75 - 2022 1 oz silver Canadian maples
43 - 100 gram silver Volcambi bars
166 - 1 oz backdate silver eagles
34 - 10 oz silver Unity and Liberty bars
451 - 1 oz silver buff rounds
$78.25 90% silver quarters
$125.40 90% silver dimes
Anyone with information contact:
Doug Davis
817-723-7231
Doug@numismaticcrimes.org
Comments
I just heard this from the show promoter, yesterday. Ouch.
Wow... Significant loss. Certainly targeted leaving a coin show. Many times warnings about stopping and leaving the car after leaving the show have been posted here. The thieves will scout the show then watch for dealers packing up and leaving. It is possible they could even follow to the home. Precautions must be taken, and being observant while traveling (cars following) is critical. If possible, have a friend along, that way, if a stop is necessary, one can wait in the car. If an overnight stay enroute is required, unload the valuables to the room or hotel secure storage. Cheers, RickO
ouch indeed. i hope they catch them and im glad to hear no one got hurt, best wishes john
Tom Reynolds was followed all the way to his home a few years ago. Might want to use evasive tactics when leaving a show, such as doubling back to see if you are being followed. Just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they aren't out to get you. They are.
I knew it would happen.
Anyone can figure out where Tom Reynolds physically resides in about 30 seconds on Google. Evasive tactics such as doubling back on the way home from a coin show is only going to do so much. RGDS!
The whole worlds off its rocker, buy Gold™.
BOOMIN!™
Make 3 right or left turns. If you see the same car in your rear view mirror, beware.
Also driving by the local police department or calling them may be a good option. Or you could try Jim Rockford or Frank Cannon's methods.
Here’s video with explanation of what happened…
Thanks for any help 🙏
Dave
Certainly not a "smash and grab". Look like typical 'Merican trash, not sure why you try to force the blame on Mexicans or Asians due to one of the "supposed' suspects having curly hair.........? We have absolutely become dumbed down as a nation. God help us all. RGDS!
The whole worlds off its rocker, buy Gold™.
BOOMIN!™
Blitzdude - Stated: He has long curly black hair (could be a wig) so he could be Mexican or Asian Is what we (everyone watched video so far) are thinking…
Seriously, your comments are disrespectful and please go learn to be kind & respectful to help the nation 🙏
Good video and good work on putting it all together.
I am also a little confused by the "Mexican or Asian" thing, as I don't know how a nationality (Mexican) can be determined from a grainy photo. But in any case, it was obviously a well-planned crime targeting one specific person.
I don't attend many coin shows but it would be nice if the show or the venue had some security in the parking areas. Even random photos of license plates might help since the videos obviously didn't give the license plates.
Thankfully this was not an actual armed robbery, and that may have been part of their strategy. As a burglary with no violence it is likely much lower on the priority list for law enforcement.
Rob a bank and the FBI and state police puts you on their hit parade list; rob $50K to $100K or more from a coin dealer at a show and the cops will tell the dealer that you were lucky to not have been there when they were grabbing the merchandise. I hear there is a lot of demand for pms now at coin shows. Terrible thing to happen and you have to wonder how many times do criminal gangs attempt a robbery like this for every one they win at?
It was all bullion, apparently, and no slabbed or unique numismatic coins. What was stolen would be untraceable once dispersed. That was probably part of what made this inventory attractive to the thieves.
I like the idea of seeding the inventory with tracking devices, but I have to wonder if police would bother chasing the crooks. I've heard that if cell phones are stolen and they have the tracking feature turned on, police won't even act on the information to track down the thief. It's all about the allocation of resources. And in some jurisdictions theft under $1000 is not even a criminal offense.
In any case, I wonder if there are other precautions that could be taken, such as safes or metal boxes inside the car trunk, or something bolted or chained to the car, so that the bullion could not just be lifted out.
Good idea. It would have to be bolted down. The weight of a safe would make smash and grab a lot more difficult.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
I'm hoping better surveillance cameras can be reviewed on the Mazda license plate to connect the dots with the perpetrators.
Same thing goes for coming back from the range.
Doesn't hurt to be overly cautious about being followed.
Double back, make a u turn and or go thru a drive thru close to the house with your head on swivel.
Welcome to the boards , @Coinhuskers12 .
Painful to watch. Hope you get some leads. It looks like one of them was wearing latex gloves.
Wall of HONOR transaction list:WonderCoin, CoinFlip, Masscrew, Travintiques, lordmarcovan, Jinx86, Gerard, ElKevvo
Not a smash and grab, just poor habit of dealer. Take everything out at once, with someone watching you and then leave immediately after loading. Never leave car or room unattended if you have merchandise in them.
TwoSides2aCoin said:
Thank you, kind sir! 🙏
Have done this show for 10+ years and first time not use loading zone because was blocked and first three loads was virtually nothing of value.
Went back in to grab a check and told friend needed to go three times because had product and was meeting someone at the office.
Best of luck to you…
Any chance the thieves blocked the loading zone to force you to make multiple trips? It seems you were being watched inside. That's the creepiest part.
Any chance at all the check delay was part of the set-up?
Doesn’t matter if the loading zone was blocked or not. One trip out would have prevented the theft.
As a dealer doing shows since the mid-80’s, this is the rule we’ve followed.
Hopefully they can catch the team.
Truly sorry for your life to comment on a situation and someone you don’t know.
That rule did not prevent theft from Tom Reynolds - who usually sets up right next to me at the show or First National Bank 168th Maple location (bank that use) bank vault was robbed (129 K in cash) within three minutes - weeks ago.
One trip out does not always prevent theft… plenty of others in the video unarmed/making multiple trips out that day.
Thanks for the all kind comments from other people 🙏
The U-Haul was parked there all week until Friday.
Questioned the guy in the red car for awhile and he came back after robbery so does not make sense.
Beyond creepy
No - guy is former lawyer and feels absolutely terrible because know had to get going. Just, crazy timing.
Sorry to hear about your loss. Looks like you have pretty solid video evidence of several people involved. Hope you are made whole.
Coinhuskers12, very sorry to hear about this. Very sobering, as I have attended this show many times in the past (though have not set up as a dealer).
Thankfully you were not confronted and physical harm inflicted. Good luck in piecing together what clues you have, and I hope you will be able to track down those involved.
I am always thinking and watching for things. I guess that’s why some coin shows have these occurrences happen more than others.
Good luck. Sorry you feel you have to lash out.
Thank you, so much for the kind comments & taking the time 🙏
The people who made kind & very helpful/respectful comments - definitely thanked.
Odd way of helping by starting out stating - just poor habit of dealer and saying one trip would have prevented theft… as if this is a 100% fact.
In video stated 7:18 mins: Make sure always walking out with someone else usually another dealer & myself always go out together/always in that loading zone - just make sure someone is watching
Clearly similar comments as you and agreed
This is the first occurrence this coin show has had since 1976 when it started…
Peace & Goodwill to you
I have done some business with Coinhuskers in the past (dropped into their B&M once upon a time), and always thought they were pretty decent folks. I hate when bad things happen to good folks.
Cheers,
Surf
I am not a dealer but I wish there is a way to protect (property and safety of) the dealers after the show. What if organizer set up hidden camera at each entryway/exit of parking lot and at intersections enroute to the Convention Center to captures all license plates? and provides that info to local law enforcement for real time monitoring?
What make them hidden.
Need big signs...
A special loading zone under surveillance with security detail couldn't cost the promotors much.
Wouldn't be too much to ask, I'm Assuming the venue costs to set up a table?
Wouldn't that come with a certain amount of security under the venue insurance?
Unless you signed a waiver.