All things Florida Man

NORTH PALM BEACH — Michael Johnson envisioned those commemorative presidential dollars spiraling down a slot, to be converted from $33,000 worth of collectibles to just enough store credit to buy a couple of 12-packs of beer.

“He easily had $33,000 worth, and he dumped it in a Coin Star machine,” Johnson said.

Authorities said Shane Anthony Mele, 40, of Riviera Beach confessed he stole rare coins and other items, valued at $350,000, from Johnson’s North Palm Beach office in December.

Mele reportedly said he sold some, then ran many through change machines, where he got just face value...………

Mele told police he dumped the rest of the collectibles in “Coin Star” machines at area grocery stores. People often trade large stashes of loose coins for store credit, minus a fee of as much as 11.9 percent.

That means if he dropped in the 33 presidential coins, valued at $1,000 each, he got about $29.30...………...



https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/...-in-supermarket-change-machine-victim-wonders