In the latest installment of the so-called “Florida Man” meme, a Riviera Beach, FL man has been charged in the theft of valuable coins and other items from a friend’s office in North Palm Beach, FL.
According to a recent report in the Palm Beach Post, Shane Anthony Mele confessed to stealing an estimated $350,000 in valuables last December from his friend Michael Johnson. The valuables reportedly included large numbers of collector-quality coins that Johnson had collected and inherited over the years.
While Mele may have been smart in choosing his target, he displayed less wisdom in converting the valuables into cash. According the Post report, Mele “cashed” about $33,000 worth of the rare coins in CoinStar machines located at various grocery stores in the area. His total estimated take? Less than $30.
