Recommend This StoryAccused coin thieves indicted
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By Sally Voth - svoth@nvdaily.com
NEW MARKET -- Four Texans have been indicted in federal court in connection with the theft of more than $150,000 worth of coins from a former town resident.
A U.S. District Court grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas indicted Jason McMillan, 24, of Groves, Texas; Lori Benson Kirkman, 40, of Port Arthur, Texas; Paul Bos-Hernandez, 24, of Port Arthur; and Anthony Benson, 21, of Port Arthur, on July 21, according to online court records.
All four, along with McMillan & McMillan LLC, which did business as American Coin Exchange, were charged with conspiracy to transport stolen goods. McMillan is also charged with receiving stolen goods, and his three co-defendants are charged with transporting stolen goods, according to a news release from the office of U.S. Attorney John M. Bales.
According to the indictment, McMillan ordered a rental car in Texas on Dec. 18, and that same day, Kirkman, Bos-Hernandez and Benson headed for New Market in the car.
Shenandoah County Sheriff's Maj. Scott Proctor said the suspects ran a coin-exchange scheme -- buying, selling or trading coins, and then arranging home visits to the buyers' houses.
"And, they would either steal those coins back, or others," he said.
The victim -- who no longer lives in New Market and whose name was not provided by authorities -- noticed right after their visit that he was missing $152,000 worth of coins, Proctor said.
"We started the case and our investigator ... was able to develop a suspect and was able to connect it back to the company in Texas," Proctor said.
The indictment says that Kirkman, Bos-Hernandez and Benson shipped the coins from Providence, R.I., to McMillan, who wired money to them and sold the coins.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum of five years in prison, and the other two carry up to 10 years, according to court records.
More charges are pending in both states, Proctor said. The release from Bales' office says that the Groves Police Department and the FBI are investigating the case.
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It's a good thing they are being prosecuted in Texas, maybe they will face some real time there instead of a plea bargain that gets the charge reduced to shoplifting with community service up here.
I think that everyone, whether seen as guilty or not, should have the right to a fair trial. I also think that when the authority doesn't have enough evidence to prosecute the people who are ACTUALLY GUILTY, they feel the need to drag others into as well, hoping for better odds and a better out come. This article has so many flaws in it, its rediculous. I should know because I know Lori and Anthony. They are innocent and I would testify in ANY COURT AROUND THE WORLD to prove it. Who ever wrote this article needs to get their facts straight. I don't care what charges they were indicted on, someone is digging for answers where they aren't buried. Don't believe everything you read online people; this article is a perfect example.
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