FL FL - Isabella Hellmann, 41, catamaran off Cay Sal, FL Keys,14 May 2017 #2 *GUILTY*

[JerseyGirl]

The only really "collectable" English silver coins are historic ones and their value is subject to all sorts of variables including condition. If the rest were Canadian Maple Leaf coins, the odds are the English ones are actually silver Britannias which contain 1 troy ounce of fine silver.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britannia_(coin)

Note this:

"All of our silver Britannia coins can be purchased individually or in tubes of 25 coins."

http://www.royalmint.com/bullion/products/the-britannia-2017-one-ounce-silver-bullion-coin

Individual bullion coins tend to sell for about 10% over the metal value, and that premium falls the more you buy. So if you buy 100 units the premium may only be 3%. This means that the coins are worth more than melting them down into ingots.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/p...ett-arrested-stolen-coins-20170828-story.html

I linked above, the article says that there were 158 “Year of the Horse” English silver coins.
https://www.silvertowne.com/p-23452...rse-the-first-uk-lunar-coins-ever-minted.aspx

Here is a link to a Canadian Maple Leaf coin:
https://www.blanchardgold.com/produ...JCw_24yIaCLR0KI9L0R9BhOZwxRMkfh_4YaApeF8P8HAQ

 

[meanmaryjean]

so he had time to save his stolen goods but not to find his wife...

this!

 

[SuperTmo]

I wonder what kind of gold coins the 162 they found in his closet were. It doesn't sound like they were 1oz bullion coins since they said the value of them was less than $30,000. Gold is somewhere in the range of $4000.00 an ounce.

 

[cbeagle]

I wonder what kind of gold coins the 162 they found in his closet were. It doesn't sound like they were 1oz bullion coins since they said the value of them was less than $30,000. Gold is somewhere in the range of $4000.00 an ounce.

In US$ it's around US$1326 at the moment. https://www.jmbullion.com/charts/gold-price/#

 

[SuperTmo]

A little off topic but... I just ordered one of those horse coins for my daughter. She loves horses and has been riding since she was 3. She is 9 and spent this entire summer rehabbing her pony after he almost died and spent 3 weeks at the large animal hospital at Oregon State. She measures out all his meals (3 a day) on a scale making sure he gets exactly the right amount of each supplement and has exercised him every day and finally he is well enough to ride again! I think that I will give this to her to show my appreciation for how dedicated she is to him.

 

[SuperTmo]

In US$ it's around US$1326 at the moment. https://www.jmbullion.com/charts/gold-price/#

Hmm... yes, it is! What did I read that made me think it was higher. I thought $4,000 was absurdly high...

 

[LietKynes]

Where is the baby now? Has Isabella's family been able to see her?

RSBM

According to what I've been able to find --and it wasn't recent-- is that the baby is in his custody ; and her family has not been allowed to visit the baby girl.
If true, it's cruel of him !

I'll try to locate a source for that.
:moo:

 

[GigTu]

Thank you for clarifying. I hope he has been investigated. I wonder what he knows.

VERY important to have this person investigated, which I'm sure is already underway.

 

[JerseyGirl]

VERY important to have this person investigated, which I'm sure is already underway.

How does the FBI get ahold of him if he stays in Australia?

 

[GigTu]

How does the FBI get ahold of him if he stays in Australia?

If coins are stolen and moved across international waters, I don't think it's a stretch for US officials to be in direct contact with Australian officials about it. I have no doubt they are all cooperating with each other to recover the stolen goods AND SOLVE A MURDER.

 

[kbissing]

Thank you for clarifying. I hope he has been investigated. I wonder what he knows.

So was it the business partner he stole the coins from or someone different? A bit confused -sorry


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[darring21]

I wonder if this was a money laundering situation involving drugs or something.

 

[GigTu]

I wonder if this was a money laundering situation involving drugs or something.

If you read the article it says this is about stolen coins, and nothing about drugs. I have a feeling this is how LB really makes his income - swindling, stealing and selling valuables - not as a plumber or solar panel salesman. Those are probably just covers to evade tax fraud probing. I'm sure he has partners as well. I think Isabella found him suspicious and he planned this "honeymoon" to rid himself of her, take the baby and run with her assets. I have a feeling he has done this before with other women too (maybe not the baby part, but who knows...). So where is the baby? Was little Emilia just another commodity to be sold on the market?

As far as the theft goes, LB could be a small fish in a much larger ring. We shall see.

 

[j_in_c]

Wow! I know there were a few nautical folks on here in the early days of this thread - can any of you comment on the "14 gallons of water" he had with him in the life raft? The items listed bring a lot of suspicion that he planned to be in the lifeboat potentially for a long time awaiting rescue and wanted to ensure survival. Under normal circumstances this makes sense, but in an emergency situation I would imagine you are lucky to have a few gallons of water and the beacon.
Thoughts from anyone with actual nautical experience?

 

[darring21]

If you read the article it says this is about stolen coins, and nothing about drugs. I have a feeling this is how LB really makes his income - swindling, stealing and selling valuables - not as a plumber or solar panel salesman. Those are probably just covers to evade tax fraud probing. I'm sure he has partners as well. I think Isabella found him suspicious and he planned this "honeymoon" to rid himself of her, take the baby and run with her assets. I have a feeling he has done this before with other women too (maybe not the baby part, but who knows...). So where is the baby? Was little Emilia just another commodity to be sold on the market?

As far as the theft goes, LB could be a small fish in a much larger ring. We shall see.

Someone with @ $50,000 in untraceable coins just left it on his boat unguarded sounds questionable. Perhaps it was payment and reported stolen for tax reasons?

 

[JerseyGirl]

LOUIS BENNETT BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND

The husband of a Delray Beach real-estate agent missing at sea will be held without bond on an unrelated charge, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Lewis Bennett will have a bond hearing Friday afternoon on charges that he stole more than $100,000 in coins from a boat in the Caribbean on which he was first mate. His arraignment will be Sept. 11.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/b...red-held-without-bond/vIHzUj8ZfEAeBTfaVrusfO/

 

[JerseyGirl]

Federal authorities have yet to say how Bennett came to be back in Florida and in custody.

The federal complaint, filed Friday and unsealed Monday, makes no reference to foul play [regarding Isabella], but an FBI spokesman reiterated Tuesday morning that the investigation into the disappearance remains open.

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news...-for-court-coin-theft/VP6nya2OQJxyoSMN37wNcO/

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Hmmm, I assumed the coins were American and not British/English, with some Canadian mixed in. I only assumed they were American because their value was reported in American dollars.

Did anyone read that they specifically said British/English coins versus American?

The price of bullion coins is often quoted in USD since bullion prices are quoted internationally in USD.

Coins recovered from a life raft: 158 “Year of the Horse” English silver coins and 77 Canadian Maple Leaf coins with a $4,200 value.

Probably these: https://www.bleyerbullion.co.uk/1oz-silver-lunar-year-of-the-horse

 

[SuperTmo]

RSBM

According to what I've been able to find --and it wasn't recent-- is that the baby is in his custody ; and her family has not been allowed to visit the baby girl.
If true, it's cruel of him !

I'll try to locate a source for that.
:moo:

Right. They moved to the U.K. But he came back and got arrested. Did he bring the baby on the trip with him? Now that he is in jail I hold her family gets the baby.

 

[MelmothTheLost]

If you read the article it says this is about stolen coins, and nothing about drugs.

It's possible LB stole them from the original captain, but that the latter was using them for money laundering/drug payments. This was the Caribbean, after all. Having said that, $100,000 is pretty small beer for an international drug running operation.

I have a feeling this is how LB really makes his income - swindling, stealing and selling valuables - not as a plumber or solar panel salesman. Those are probably just covers to evade tax fraud probing.

Agreed - very plausible.

I'm sure he has partners as well. I think Isabella found him suspicious and he planned this "honeymoon" to rid himself of her, take the baby and run with her assets. I have a feeling he has done this before with other women too (maybe not the baby part, but who knows...). So where is the baby? Was little Emilia just another commodity to be sold on the market?

As far as the theft goes, LB could be a small fish in a much larger ring. We shall see.

Yep. It's certainly plausible.