Coin shop owner charged with selling counterfeits

Monday, April 28, 2008

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John Green faces several charges relating to allegedly selling counterfeit coins.

MULBERRY (Bay News 9) -- The Polk County Sheriff's Office has charged an owner of a coin and jewelry shop in Mulberry with selling counterfeit rare and antique coins.

John Green, the owner of AAA Coin and Jewelry at 107 West Badcock Blvd., has been charged with three counts of grand theft. Detectives said Green, 47, was counterfeiting rare or antique coins and selling them at market value as actual rare or antique coins.

Detectives said they were tipped off by a customer who said he bought coins from Green for more than $1,000, but when he had them appraised by two experts he found out they were counterfeit.

The sheriff's office said they also bought three coins from Green in an undercover investigation, had those coins appraised, and found them to be counterfeit.

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Detectives seized thousands of collectible U.S. and foreign coins from Green's shop and a 900-pound hydraulic press machine with die stamps from Green's home.

"Some of those impressions on some of the die stamps would lead us to believe that he was making some U.S. currency, collectible coins," said an undercover detective from the sheriff's office.

Anyone who has purchased coins described by Green as antique or rare in the past two years is asked to have the coins appraised and contact the sheriff's office at (863) 297-3101 to report any counterfeiting. The investigation continues and more charges are possible if additional buyers come forward.

Green was convicted in 2000 and served a one-year federal sentence for selling counterfeit coins through the mail.