The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 37, September 16, 2007, Article 13

COUPLE SPENDING LIBERTY DOLLARS ARRESTED

On Thursday, The Week of Walworth County, WI published an article
noting that "A Rockford couple was arrested this spring for using
and trying to use "Liberty Dollars" at three Walworth businesses.

"The suspects, Shaun A. Kranish, 22, and Svetlana V. Dudnik, 24,
may be the first to try and use the 'private barter currency' in
Walworth County, District Attorney Phil Koss said.

"The couple is also the first to post their story on a new blog
site, walworthcorruption.blogspot.com, which started Sept. 7.

"On it, the couple tells their story of how they were allegedly
harassed by police, booked in jail and thrust into the court system
for, as they say, not doing anything wrong.

"On May 6, Kranish was getting something to eat at the Dari-Ripple
in Walworth and attempted to pay for his meal with a $20 'fine silver
Liberty Dollar.' Shortly after he gave it to the clerk, a police
officer arrived and started asking him questions.

"'I tried to explain that it was not against the law, that I was
offering silver for trade...,' a writer claiming to be Shaun wrote,
on the blog site. The article also appears on another blog site,
www.makethestand.com.

"Kranish and Dudnik, who according to the postings are now married,
were arrested and taken to jail. Both are charged with four counts
of misdemeanor theft.

"Kranish also was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon. He had
a .45 caliber handgun in a CD case in his car on May 6, and he was
wearing an empty holster, according to the complaint.

"Walworth police were notified of Liberty Dollars being used at the
Walworth Landing gas station, Daniels Sentry in Walworth and again
at Dari-Ripple in late April, according to the criminal complaint.
Change was given back in at least one of the instances.

"Using the Liberty Dollars as circulating currency could actually
be a federal crime, according to the United States Mint.

"'They are not genuine United States Mint bullion coins and are not
legal tender,' according to the Mint's Web site. 'These medallions
are privately produced products that are neither backed by, nor
affiliated with, the United States Government.'"

To read the complete article, see: Full Story

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization 
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor 
at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum