CANADIAN MINT EMPLOYEE SENTENCED

A former Royal Canadian Mint employee has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for stealing gold coins by concealing them in his rectum.

Leston Lawrence stole $127,116 (CA$165,451; £100,000) of gold in 22 pieces.

The 35-year-old, who was found guilty last November, was caught after he had successfully sold 17 of the gold pieces through Ottawa Gold Buyers.

Ontario Court Judge Peter Doody ordered Lawrence to pay a $145,900 fine.

Passing sentence on Thursday, he ruled that Lawrence should serve another 30 months in prison if he fails to pay the penalty within three years of his release.

Investigators found vaseline and latex gloves in the mint employee's locker.

Judge Doody said these items "could have been used to facilitate insertion of gold items inside his rectum", reports the Toronto Star.

The 17 laundered pucks weighed as much as 264g apiece and were sold for sums up to $7,300 each between 2014 and 2015.

To read the complete article, see:
Canada mint worker who hid $130,000 of gold in rectum jailed (www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38848211)

In February 2015, Lawrence aroused suspicion in a bank employee after he asked to cash two checks worth $15,200 from Ottawa Gold Buyers, according to the Star.

He reportedly told the bank teller that he had sold 'gold nuggets' when she asked what the money was for.

The bank then tipped off police, who put Lawrence under surveillance.

Lawrence set off the metal detector more times than any other employee without metal implants,

To read the complete article, see:
Gilty! Mint worker who hid 22 stolen gold 'pucks' worth $130,000 in his rectum is jailed (after buying a house in Jamaica and a boat in Florida) (www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4185742/Mint-worker-hid-22-stolen-gold-pucks-rectum-jailed.html)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
CANADIAN MINT EMPLOYEE'S SPECIAL HIDING PLACE (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n39a43.html)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web