Queens Man Sold Hundreds of Counterfeit Coins: Police

A Queens man has been accused of selling hundreds of counterfeit silver dollars to three Long Island stores, police say.

The man, 27-year-old Allan Natanel, was arrested March 5 after police linked him to counterfeit sales at a pawn shop in Inwood and jewelry stores in Garden City and Franklin Square in January, according to the Nassau County Police Department.

In all three sales, the suspect sold Morgan silver dollars to the shops for an unspecified amount of money, police say.

After the man left, the shop owners determined that nearly all of the coins were fakes, according to police. The suspect sold a total of 398 coins, all but two of which were counterfeit.

Morgan silver dollars feature Lady Liberty on one face and a bald eagle on the reverse side. They were minted from 1878 to 1904.

Natanel is charged with more than 40 counts of possession of a forged instrument, police say. Attorney information for the man wasn’t available. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us