Posted on 01/16/2005 10:30:10 PM PST by STARWISE
Millions of nickels stolen from Fed
Seen anyone cashing nickels like crazy?
By Mark Potter, Correspondent
NBC News
Updated: 7:27 p.m. ET Jan. 14, 2005
MIAMI - The trail begins at the Federal Reserve building in East Rutherford, N.J.. In mid-December, a large tractor-trailer is loaded up and heads south, bound for the Fed in New Orleans. Sealed in back of the truck is $180,000 worth of newly minted U.S. nickels. They are in 900 bags and weigh nearly 23 tons.
That's 3.6 million nickels — and soon they would just disappear.
"Somebody actually went out and stole 3.6 million nickels," says FBI spokeswoman Judy Orihuela. "I mean, who would ever think that would happen?"
FBI agents and police are baffled over how it happened. The driver, Angel Ricardo Mendoza, a private trucker from Miami, has also disappeared.
"He's either a victim or a suspect," says Sgt. Richard Mestre of the Miami-Dade Police Cargo Theft Task Force. "We're not really sure."
Mestre is used to dealing with stolen cars and appliances, but he's never seen a case involving nickels.
There are very few clues. Investigators do know that after leaving New Jersey, Mendoza gassed up at a North Florida station on Dec. 19. They have the credit receipts. On Dec. 20, Mendoza called his boss, saying he was in Tallahassee and would soon arrive in New Orleans. He never made it and hasn't been heard from since.
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Which is why copper pennies are mostly zinc.
Let's see...Angel Mendoza is missing with millions of nickles he was transporting. What a mystery! Check Mexico for the truck, dullards.
Thanks, Star! I needed a good laugh with my first cup of coffee.
Your Barrett picture is in the mail.
I went to all the trouble of cutting it out of a magazine.
It's a new picture, but I just couldn't afford the frame. Sorry.
Two mules bringing a million and a half dollars worth of cocaine and marijuana to Houston. After getting through the border checks and fifty miles from their destination, they couldn't resist sampling some of their haul.
They got stopped for wreckless driving on Highway 59.
I'd bet that all this idiot was thinking was $180,000.!
There are border towns where one dollar bills are thrown away in the streets or not accepted at all as they are too burdensome for the street dealers to pack around for their day at work......
This Mohow with 23 tons of nickles is a penny shy of a full load IMO.
Ya'll Stay safe !
BTW TC .......Did you get the free key chain with yer pea shooter ? I didn't !
The Mint, overall, is still highly profitable. They profit by about 17 cents on each quarter, all costs paid, for example.
No, I didn't either!
I think we need to write Ronnie Barrett and complain!
Everytime I write him it cost me money.......:O)
LOL!!!!!
Oh gosh. Cowboy. I'm uhhhhh....speechless.
You would have to find a fence that was running a "nickle and dime" operation.
My advice on this whole subject: Don't take any wooden nickels.
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