Former Manager Pleads Guilty In Money Museum Theft

A former manager at the American Numismatic Association Money Museum in Colorado Springs has pleaded guilty to stealing close to $1 million from his former employer.

Wyatt Yeager, 33, was a collection manager at the museum for three months in 2007. In October 2007, leaders discovered that close to 300 coins were stolen.

“This is a terrible loss for the ANA, the hobby and for coin collectors everywhere,” said Tom Hallenbeck, president of of the ANA. “Prosecution of this crime has been pursued in accordance with the law. The ANA is continuing this investigation and will diligently pursue the recovery of the stolen items.”

So far, only about 30 coins have been recovered, and Hallenbeck said the nonprofit group is committed to recovering all the stolen goods. Here’s a link to a website detailing all the goods taken by Yeager according to the FBI.

Yeager traveled the world after leaving the museum, selling the coins in three different countries before trying to elude authorities in yet another country. If convicted on theft of major artwork charges, Yeager would face a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Hallenbeck said owning those coins is a crime even if the buyers didn’t know they were committing a crime.

“Even if they bought them in good faith, because it is a museum, there are cultural laws about that they have to turn them in. It’s actually a felony to own these coins,” said Hallenbeck.

To the ANA, the coins have more than just more monetary value.

“It’s history in your hands. These are primary documents of history,” said Douglas Mudd, curator of the museum. “They’re very important for us to be able to use to tell the story of money and our own history.”

If you’d like to visit the ANA Money Museum, its open Tuesday – Saturday, 10:30 am to 5 pm. Tickets can be up to $5 but there are several discounts available as well.