A federal grand jury has indicted Amanda Rutherford, 45, of Kansas, on one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods, according to an announcement made today. The indictment alleges that Rutherford crossed state lines into Missouri to sell over $100,000 worth of gold and silver coins that had been stolen from an elderly couple in Kansas.
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The Dickinson County, Kansas Sheriff’s Office initially received a report in 2022 detailing the theft of several items, including firearms and a collection of coins, from the farm of an elderly couple. Rutherford, who reportedly lived on the couple’s property and claimed to be their caregiver, became a person of interest.
In early 2024, the investigation gained momentum when the Sheriff’s Office received a tip indicating that Rutherford had sold gold coins to a jewelry store located in Clay County, Missouri. Authorities were able to corroborate this information, discovering that Rutherford had received checks totaling $100,000 from the transaction.
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Following this discovery, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), executed a search warrant on Rutherford’s vehicle shortly after she cashed the checks.
The search yielded newly purchased merchandise, the remaining bundled currency from the sale, and additional coins that the elderly victims later identified as belonging to their stolen collection.
The indictment underscores the federal law that prohibits the transportation of stolen goods across state lines. If convicted, Rutherford faces a maximum prison sentence of up to 10 years and a potential fine of up to $250,000.
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