LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) - Two men who claimed in numerous national television interviews that they found buried treasure in the back yard of a home were arrested early Friday after being questioned by police, who said the money was stolen. Investigators believe Barry Billcliff, 27, of Manchester, N.H., and Timothy Crebase, 22, of Methuen, Mass., found old bank notes and bills in a house where they were doing roofing work. Both men were charged with receiving stolen property, conspiracy and accessory after the fact, Lt. Kevin Martin said. They were to be arraigned Friday morning.
The men said they found 1,800 bank notes and bills dating between 1899 and 1928, with a face value of about $7,000. Domenic Mangano, owner of the Village Coin Shop in Plaistow, N.H., examined the find and estimated its value between $50,000 to $75,000. | Saw it on tv, the old bills looked in good shape. Collectors would snap them up. |
The men's stories, though, prompted some suspicions because of discrepancies. The depth of the buried crate, for example, ranged from 9 inches to 2 feet.
The men also gave conflicting reasons for digging in the yard of the house Crebase rents. They told one reporter they were digging a hole to plant a tree. In other reports, they said they were trying to remove a small tree or dig up the roots of a shrub that was damaging the home's foundation. | They screwed up when they went public. Should have gone to coin collector shows and flea markets, selling them one by one. No one would have asked questions and they would have gotten away with it. So sad, not! |
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