PORT ANGELES — A woman has been charged with stealing more than $50,000 worth of rare coins.
Katherine Faye Blanchard, 52, was charged Monday in Clallam County Superior Court with first-degree theft.
Police allege she stole the rare coins from a 99-year-old man she was caring for in August.
She will be arraigned in Clallam County Superior Court today.
The theft was reported in November, and police tracked them to several pawn shops and antique stores downtown, Deputy Chief Brian Smith said.
The owner of one of those stores, Don Zeller, was subsequently arrested Wednesday for investigation of failing to comply with reporting restrictions, for allegedly not keeping records of the transaction and second-degree unlawful possession of 11 firearms.
He has not been charged.
He was released Thursday on his own recognizance.
No indication he knew
Smith said there’s no indication that Zeller, who is also a candidate for the Port Angeles Downtown Association board, knew the coins were stolen.
Zeller said he didn’t know they were stolen.
He added that he was unsure if he recorded their purchase.
“On the face, it looked legitimate,” he said.
State law requires owners of secondhand-item stores to keep records of their purchases to assist police when investigating transactions of stolen items, Smith said.
“It allows us to track them down,” he said.
Zeller said he purchased between 25 and 30 coins, which he sold about two months ago for $40 to $50 a piece.
Police also said Zeller was illegally in possession of 11 firearms that he had for sale because of past domestic-violence convictions that prohibit him from owning guns.
Zeller said he can possess and sell them because they were manufactured before 1898 and are therefore considered antiques.
Smith said he didn’t know how many coins were stolen, but some have been recovered.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
