Staff report
HAWTHORNE, Fla. – James Ray Crawford, 66, is accused of stealing collectible coins valued at more than $25,000 from a friend’s father’s estate and pawning them.
According to an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deputy, representatives of the estate said the deceased man owned a coin collection estimated to be worth more than $1 million. They told investigators that Crawford had access to the home, knew about the collection and was aware of where the coins were kept.
While taking inventory of the estate’s assets, the representatives discovered that several coins were missing. Investigators found no signs of forced entry, and the representatives said that only they and Crawford had access to the residence at the time.
The deputy determined that Crawford had pawned several collectible coins using his identification and claiming the items belonged to him. The descriptions of the pawned coins matched those reported missing from the estate.
During a controlled phone call arranged by the deputy between Crawford and a witness, Crawford reportedly denied knowing anything about the coins and denied taking them.
Investigators said Crawford received $21,610 for the coins, which had an estimated market value of $25,362.
Crawford faces charges of grand theft from a dwelling, dealing in stolen property, conducting a fraudulent pawn transaction involving more than $300 and participating in a scheme to defraud involving more than $20,000. His criminal history was unavailable because he posted $375,000 bail before his First Appearance.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
