York County man received fake check for antiques, rare coins; warrants issued: police

A couple stole more than $100,000 in rare coins, old firearms and antiques from a man through fraudulent business practices, Newberry Township Police allege.

Police have issued arrest warrants for Thomas Allen Taylor, 66, of the 200 block of East Main Street in Waynesboro and Christina Lynn Taylor, 59, of the 1900 block of Wexford Road in Derry Township, Dauphin County.

They face charges of theft by deception, theft by unlawful taking, deceptive or fraudulent business practices, failure to make required disposition of funds, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy, according to court records.

Man received fake check for items taken to auction: police

Police say a resident contacted "Collectors Auction Company LLC" in the Palmyra area last summer. The owner, Thomas Taylor, and Christina, his wife and business partner, agreed to come to his home and take truck loads of rare coins, antiques, old firearms and collectables to an auction house in Harrisburg, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

The man told police the valuables were worth upwards of $100,000 with an auction price of $200,000, the affidavit states.

Sales from the first auction in July were reportedly about $17,500, the affidavit states.

A check for $14,887.55 — the amount cleared after the commission — and a letter were hand delivered to the resident in October. The letter informed the man to not cash the check until Nov. 1, 2023 because bidders had not yet paid, the affidavit states.

The resident cashed the check on Dec. 6, 2023, the affidavit states. Five days later, the Federal Reserve classified the check as fraudulent, and the money was taken out of the man's account.

The man contacted Thomas Taylor and explained the error with the check.

"Mr. Taylor refused to honor the check and told him he would not receive any money or his items returned," the affidavit states.

The man reported the incident to police in December.

Investigation reveals business was abandoned

In December, Thomas Taylor told an investigator that the man altered the check, and he no longer wants to do business with him, the affidavit states.

When officers went to the business in Harrisburg, they found it was abandoned and all of the items had been removed, the affidavit states.

Police said the fake check made it past the banking system and stopped at the Federal Reserve. It was not forged or altered, the affidavit states.

The man has not had his items returned or received compensation for them, the affidavit states.