UPDATE $3 million in gold stolen from Siskiyou courthouse

[henrysmedford]

Just down the road from us about a half hour drive from here.






Yreka, Calif. —
An estimated $3 million in historic gold nuggets were stolen from a display at the Siskiyou County Courthouse in
Yreka early this morning.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said two individuals can be seen on surveillance cameras inside the courthouse around 1 a.m.
this morning, Feb. 1.
The two men, who appear to be caucasian, entered the courthouse through the back, according to Sheriff’s spokesperson Allison
Giannini. The men also entered two other rooms inside the courthouse, Giannini said.
The crime was first reported to the Yreka Police Department just after 7 a.m.
Only the large nuggets were taken. All the smaller pieces of gold were left behind, the Sheriff’s Office reported. The estimated value
of the gold comes from Siskiyou County Treasurer Wayne Hammar. The total value of what was taken is still being determined, said
Giannini.
As of this morning, gold prices are at $1,744 an ounce.
All the gold found in the display was found in Siskiyou County, where thousands of gold-seeking forty-niners settled in the 1800s to
make their fortunes, said Claudia East, vice president of the Siskiyou County Museum Board and secretary of the Yreka Committee
for Historic Preservation.
The gold is owned by the county of Siskiyou and was accumulated a little at a time by members of the Board of Supervisors through
purchases and donations, East said. One of the most valuable items in the display is a gold nugget discovered by a miner in a pile of
discarded shavings near Hawkinsville, just a few miles north of Yreka. Also in the collection is the “shoe nugget” found near the Scott
River in 1913 and purchased by the City of Yreka for $550.
The Sheriff’s Office did not specify if these two nuggets were among those taken.
While gold prices have shot through the roof in the past years, Mount Shasta jeweler Jon Thomas said gold nuggets often sell for
more than their weight because of their historic value and character.
This is not the first time the collection has been the focus of thieves, East said. In 1979 two people entered the courthouse through a
bathroom window and smashed the display, setting off a silent alarm. The police arrived and apprehended the two after a short chase
down a nearby street about a block away.
This morning, the foyer of the courthouse, where the gold display case is situated directly adjacent to the metal detector, is
completely closed off while the investigation takes place.
The Yreka Police Department and the California Department of Justice are assisting the Sheriff’s Office with the investigation.
“We have a team of highly skilled SCSO Detectives developing some promising leads,” said Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon Lopey
Monday morning. “These thieves not only stole valuable gold that belongs to the people of Siskiyou County but these individuals
violated the security and sanctity of our courthouse and stole a piece of our Siskiyou County history. We will not rest until the
perpetrators are identified and held to answer for their crimes.”
Anyone with information in this case should call the Siskiyou County Detectives Bureau at (530) 841-2900.
Copyright 2012 Mount Shasta Herald. Some rights reserved

[cesariojpn]

Probably already being melted down into untraceable unverifiable gold bars.

[galenrog]

Any thief that steals gold and does not melt it to ingots is not too bright. Probably someone local that will try to sell the nuggets. Almost as many idiots there as there are in Lane County 200 miles north.

[Mossy]

Gold is easily identified as to source. Sell as nuggets? Ha.

[NHsorter]

I know a dentist that just made a good ingot. Coincidence?

[pennypicker]

I live right across the Oregon/California border just 35 miles from this courthouse. I'm a male caucasian as well and I SWEAR I didn't steal these nuggets.....really, truthfully.

[henrysmedford]

[henrysmedford]

Yreka Gold Theft Surveillance Video

[henrysmedford]

Update On Yreka Gold Theft

YREKA, Calif. – Over a million dollars worth of gold from the Siskiyou County Court House is still missing and the sheriff’s office has yet to make an arrest. Several months have passed since gold was stolen from a display at the Siskiyou County Courthouse.

The county recently received money from the insurance claim and now the next steps need to be worked out. The Siskiyou County Administrator says the disbursement of the $1,080,000 in insurance money the county received a few weeks ago will appear on the agenda for the first time next week at the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors meeting.

Currently plywood and reward fliers cover the display where the gold once was at the entrance of the Siskiyou County Court House. That reward could soon increase thanks to the reimbursement from the insurance claim. County officials are discussing the possibility of more than tripling the original reward amount of $15,000.

Surveillance video shows two men smashing in the display glass and grabbing some but not all of the gold nuggets early in the morning of February 1st. A Portland appraiser used historical information photographs and small pieces of gold from the crime scene to help determine the value. County Administrator Tom Odom said it’s unclear what, if anything, will be decided at next Tuesday’s meeting but ideas from board members staff and the public will be considered.

[henrysmedford]

Bid=$1,080,000 in insurance money
Ask=An estimated $3 million in historic gold nuggets were stolen ---

[henrysmedford]

Gold theft reward more than triples

November 29, 2012 2:30 PM
YREKA — Siskiyou County's Board of Supervisors authorized a substantial increase in a reward offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of two men who snatched up more than $1.25 million in gold from the Siskiyou County Courthouse February.

The reward has increased from $15,000 to $50,000.

The theft occurred in the early-morning hours of Feb. 1. Surveillance footage from the courthouse shows two men entering the building through the back, possibly through a window, at 1 a.m. No alarm sounded during the break-in because of a malfunction.

The men broke into a display case and stole a collection of gold nugget samples from nearly every mine in the county, whose history is steeped in gold mining culture. The nuggets had been acquired over time through purchases and donations. The collection was displayed at the 1939 World's Fair in San Francisco.

"We've conducted followups on more than 100 leads involving the gold theft, but we feel it is time to increase the reward in an effort to generate additional leads from the public," said Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon Lopey.

Authorities added they are convinced they will solve the case because of the evidence they have gathered during the investigation, including DNA from the crime scene.

"As soon as one or both suspects are matched in the DNA databank system, they will be arrested once they have been identified," Lopey said.

Anyone with information about the gold theft should call the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office's 24-hour dispatch at 530-841-2900.

— Ryan Pfeil

[henrysmedford]

Suspects named in Yreka gold burglary

March 29, 2013 12:15 PM
YREKA — The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office has named two suspects in the theft of $1.26 million worth of historic gold, one of the largest burglary cases in county history.

Investigators have named David Dean Johnson, 49, of El Cerrito, Calif., and Scott Wayne Bailey, 51, of El Sobrante, Calif., as suspects in the case. Police believe they broke into the Siskiyou County Superior Courthouse in Yreka in the early morning hours of Jan. 31, 2012, and swiped $1.26 million in historic gold nuggets, jewelry and other artifacts.

"It was a large piece of our history that was stolen. It kind of hurts on a whole other level," said Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Allison Giannini. "People still want this cause brought to justice even if it's a year later."

Surveillance footage from the crime shows two adult males breaking in through the back of the courthouse, possibly through a window, at about 1 a.m. The alarm did not sound. Officials do not believe it was intentionally cut. After a yearlong investigation, the sheriff's office and members of the Siskiyou County-Wide Interagency Narcotic Task Force issued search warrants for several homes in Shasta and Contra Costa counties in January. They recovered evidence that pointed to Johnson and Bailey as suspects. Sheriff's officials declined to comment on specific evidence found.

"We aren't releasing that at this time just because it's part of the ongoing investigation," Giannini said.

The investigation pointed to some of the stolen gold being used to buy several high-value items.

On Thursday, detectives traveled back to the Bay Area to search for both men, but came up empty-handed. Additional evidence was recovered, however, and law enforcement is optimistic about tracking both men for an arrest.

"Although we still have a lot of work to do in this case, the issuance of the felony arrest warrants should result in the arrest of the suspects," Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon Lopey said.

— Ryan Pfeil

[henrysmedford]

The $50,000 reward is still out for anyone who can lead to their arrest and conviction.

[Morsecode]

How does one break into a courthouse?

[IdahoCopper]

How does one break into a courthouse?

First, you need a brozeer to hold up your gigantic cojones.........

[henrysmedford]

Arrest made in historic gold theft case

April 02, 2013 8:40 AM
YREKA — One of the two men suspected in snatching $1.26 million in historic gold from the Siskiyou County Courthouse last year is behind bars, the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office reported.

David Dean Johnson, 49, of El Cerrito, Calif., turned himself into police Monday, April 1. He is currently held in the Siskiyou County Jail on $1 million bail.

"We are glad that (he) chose to surrender, and we are hopeful that with one of the primary suspects in custody that we can develop additional information that will help us bring this major crime to a successful conclusion," said Siskiyou County Sheriff Jon Lopey. "Although we still have a lot of work to do in this case, Mr. Johnson's arrest is a welcomed development."

The second suspect, 51-year-old Scott Wayne Bailey, of El Sobrante, Calif., is still at large. Sheriff's department officials named both men as suspects last week.

A $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Anyone with information about his whereabouts or other information related to the case should contact Det. Yves Pike at 530-842-8354, or by contacting the department's 24-hour dispatch number, 530-841-2900.

Police allege that Johnson and Bailey broke into the Siskiyou County Superior Courthouse in Yreka in the early morning hours of Jan. 31, 2012. Video surveillance shows two men breaking in through the rear of the building, possibly through a window, before swiping $1.26 million in historic gold nuggets, jewelry and other artifacts. Investigators believe an alarm malfunction caused it not to sound. The investigation pointed to the suspects using the stolen gold to purchase several high-value items. None of the stolen gold has been recovered.

— Ryan Pfeil

[henrysmedford]

Another Arrest in Gold Theft Case
by NewsWatch 12 Staff
Published August 2, 2013
YREKA, Calif. — The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday that Scott Wayne Bailey, a key suspect in the court house gold theft case, has been apprehended.
On Thursday, Scott Wayne Bailey, was arrested on the outstanding arrest warrant by law enforcement authorities in San Pablo, California in the Bay Area. The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office says Bailey will soon be transferred to the Siskiyou County Jail.
The sheriff’s office says Baily faces the same burglary, theft and conspiracy charges levied against David Dean Johnson, the other suspect in the case who turned himself in back in April. Johnson remains in custody in the Siskiyou County Jail in lieu of $1 million bail.
In January 2012, over a million dollars’ worth of gold and other items were stolen from a display case in the court house lobby in the county seat of Yreka. Johnson and Bailey were identified as key suspects in the case after what the sheriff’s office calls a long and exhaustive investigation.
The investigation revealed that at least some of the gold proceeds may have been used to purchase various high-value items.

[pennypicker]

Based on his picture I'll go out on a limb and say drug use played a role in this crime. The amount of damage exacted on our country (be it physical, psychological, property, economic & otherwise) from drug use is astronomical. Far more than what any terrorist group has or will ever will do to us.

[reddirtcoins]

I'll go out on a limb and say, there is a special place you know where for people like these.

[Engineer]

I'll go out on a limb and say, there is a special place you know where for people like these.

Nancy Grace's bed?

[Sheikh_yer_Bu'Tay]

A.) We need to adopt Singapore's penal code of caning people instead of incarcerating them. It works so well, you don't even need a lock on your front door in that city/state. Billions would be saved if we did this. We would save on prisons & jails, security systems, families would not be broken up. We would stop the cycle of repeat offenders and career criminals. We could stop the cycle of fatherless children leading to new career criminals. Of course, that will never happen until the FRN "dollar" collapses and we have to start over. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/26/us/us ... apore.html

B.) Criminals are so f_@k*#g stooopid! C'mon! If you scored 1.5 million in gold, why the Hell would you hang around???! You can buy a lot of friends in places like Mexico with 1.5 million ya know!

[henrysmedford]

Man sentenced for historic gold heist

September 13, 2013 2:25 PM
YREKA, Calif. — One of two men accused of breaking into the Siskiyou County Courthouse and stealing $1.26 million worth of historic gold nuggets, jewelry and other artifacts in 2012 will spend five years in prison.

Scott Wayne Bailey, 51, of San Pablo, Calif., was found guilty Thursday in Siskiyou County of second-degree burglary in excess of $200,000.

"We didn't offer him any plea bargains. He pleaded guilty as charged," Siskiyou County District Attorney J. Kirk Andrus said.

Another year could have been added to Bailey's sentence if the theft had exceeded $1.3 million, Andrus added.

Authorities say Bailey broke into the courthouse in January 2012 and stole the property from a display case. David Dean Johnson, 49, of El Sobrante, Calif., allegedly joined him. Johnson's case is set to go to court on Nov. 19, Andrus said.

Security footage shows two men breaking in through a rear window of the building in the early-morning hours of Jan. 31, 2012. A faulty alarm did not alert police to the crime in progress.

An investigation showed the men purchased various high-value items with proceeds from the heist, including new vehicles. Johnson turned himself in to police in April. Police arrested Bailey in August.

Andrus said Bailey did not disclose what he and Johnson did with the pilfered gold.

"He gave no information in court. I mean nothing," Andrus said. "I pointed out in very forceful terms that shows a complete lack of remorse."

Officials said that Bailey asked for probation at the hearing, as he had no prior convictions. The request was denied.

"This moved him right to the head of the class here," Andrus said. "There's just nothing like this. I mean, stealing gold from a public courthouse."

Andrus said the outcome of the court case was not satisfying, as the historic artifacts have not been recovered, robbing the city of a piece of its identity.

"He broke into our halls of justice and stole a big piece of our legacy, a significant representation of our culture," Andrus said. "Did we do our jobs? Yeah, but that doesn't mean there's really anything satisfying."

— Ryan Pfeil

[reddirtcoins]

and only 5 years for that!!??!! You have got to be kidding me!

[blackrabbit]

http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/article/20130913/NEWS/130919872/1001/NEWS
Crazy. Lesson here is if you are going to steal go as big as you can. People have got a lot more time for stealing much less than that.

This guy was an amateur. If you are a truly successful thief you can get a nice position in politics or banking. Then if you amass enough wealth you can get away with near anything.