ROCHESTER, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today Timothy Meacham, 32, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit coins before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that in May 2017, Meacham posted an ad on Craigslist advertising the sale of two genuine United States gold collector coins. The defendant used a false name and concealed his phone number in the ad in order to hide his true identity. The victim, a Pennsylvania man, contacted Meacham and traveled to Rochester on May 15, 2017, at which time he purchased the counterfeit coins for $5,000.00 cash. As part of the fraud, the defendant falsely represented that the coins were authentic and had been passed to Meacham from his deceased grandfather. The defendant also falsely represented that he needed to sell the coins in order to pay for funeral expenses related to the unexpected death of a family member. Upon his return to Pennsylvania, the victim discovered that the coins were counterfeit and contacted the United States Secret Service in Rochester which began an investigation leading to the arrest of Meacham.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the United States Secret Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Lewis Robinson.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 5, 2018, before Judge Wolford.
--DOJ Western District of New York
Source: U.S. Secret Service