Suffolk County

Man steals package with $91,000 of silver bars inside from Long Island UPS facility

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Police are looking to track down a man who allegedly walked off with boxes of silver bars worth more than $90,000 from a UPS facility on Long Island.

The theft took place at the UPS Customer Service Center on Smith Street in East Farmingdale on Nov. 22, Suffolk County police said. Just after 9 a.m. that morning, the man flashed a fake ID at the store, then swiped the packages containing the silver bars.

There were at least 36 bars of silver inside seven boxes at the store, police said. After showing his fake ID, the man was able to sign for them, then load them into his car and drive away in a dark-colored vehicle— quite the heavy lift, both figuratively and literally.

"Silvers are very dense metal. It’s very heavy," said Paul Zappasodi, a coin, silver and gold dealer.

About 100 ounces of a silver bar is said to be worth about $2,700 overall. Around $91,000 in silver was taken, police said, which Zappasodi said is about 250 pounds of the pricey material.

Zappasodi said he ships silver bars often, but there’s a strict chain of command.

"We use direct signature only, which means only the person addressed on the box can sign for it," he told NBC New York.

Suffolk Police released a photo of the suspect and CrimeStoppers is offering a cash reward for any information that leads to an arrest. Those with details about the theft or the suspect are asked to contact the Suffolk County Crime Stoppers or submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.

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