Man sentenced to 60 years in prison for stealing Georgetown father-in-law's coin collection

A Williamson County assemblage has sentenced a antheral to 60 years successful situation for stealing his father-in-law's coin collection.

Christopher Alan Young, 56, of Pearland, was convicted of theft of spot from an aged individual, according to a territory attorney's quality release. It said the complaint was elevated to a first-degree felony due to the fact that of the victim's age, the merchandise said.

The victim, who lives successful Georgetown, was 83 erstwhile the theft occurred, officials said. The assemblage sentenced Young connected March 12 and besides fined him $10,000.

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Young's father-in-law, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and a pilot, spent 60 years putting unneurotic a invaluable coin collection, the merchandise said. Authorities were alerted successful August 2022 aft Young's woman told constabulary she thought Young had stolen her father's coin collection, an apprehension affidavit said. It said Young and his woman had been often visiting her parents successful Georgetown from 2021-2022 to assistance them relocate.

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"During this period, immoderate of the coins Young had stolen were discovered missing, and Young suggested and installed a fastener connected his father-in-law’s location bureau door, providing him with a azygous key," the merchandise said. It said the father-in-law stored a ample information of his extended coin collection, including gold, metallic and commemorative coins, wrong an bureau closet. The astir invaluable portion of the postulation had been placed wrong the closet successful March 2022 aft an inventory by household members, the affidavit said.

On Aug. 21, 2022, it said, relatives discovered coins successful the postulation were missing. The missing items included $85,000 successful golden coins, $19,500 successful metallic coins and $19,400 successful dollar coins. They besides included $5,000 successful commemorative coins, the affidavit said.

Young's woman told constabulary that erstwhile she asked him if helium had taken the coins helium reacted "defensively and angrily," the papers said. It said she aboriginal recovered a cheque helium deposited successful their associated banking relationship from a coin concern successful Pearland. She past went to the coin concern and verified done income transactions that Young had sold much than $10,000 of her father's coins to the concern connected astatine slightest 3 occasions, the affidavit said.

Young's woman besides recovered retired her hubby had sold her father's coins to a coin concern successful Georgetown, according to the affidavit. Further probe revealed that Young had sold much than $3,000 of his father-in-law's sterling metallic Norman Rockwell plates to the aforesaid coin business, the papers said. It said Young besides sold much than $1,300 of his father-in-law's coins to a golden concern successful Taos, New Mexico. The dates that Young sold the coins corresponded to the dates helium had stayed astatine his father-in-law's location for household events oregon vacations, the affidavit said.

Young's father-in-law told constabulary helium ne'er gave support for Young to merchantability his coins collection, according to the affidavit. It said helium told constabulary the coins "were to beryllium portion of my status and immoderate assemblage wealth for my nieces and nephews near aft settling my estate."

An probe by the Texas Department of Public Safety revealed that Young had stolen the coins implicit respective months and sold them to jewelers and precious metallic stores successful Georgetown, Pearland, Las Vegas and different cities passim the confederate United States, the quality merchandise said.

"When confronted by the family, Young fled Texas," the merchandise said. It did not supply the day that Young near the state. He was arrested extracurricular a Louisiana casino edifice little than a period aft helium near Texas, according to the release.

“This defendant’s actions demonstrated a callous disregard for the spot placed successful him by his family," said District Attorney Shawn Dick. "The jury’s condemnation sends a beardown connection that those who prey connected the susceptible volition beryllium held accountable. My bureau remains committed to pursuing justness successful cases involving the fiscal exploitation of the elderly.”

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected Austin American-Statesman: Man sentenced for stealing Georgetown relative's coin collection