Most of Coins That Coronado Surgeon Is Suspected of Stealing Are Recovered

Authorities in New York believe they have recovered all but 11 coins allegedly stolen from the American Numismatic Society by Coronado heart surgeon Juan B. Suros XII over a period of several months earlier this year.

Suros, 48, appeared at a hearing Friday in New York to determine how many coins had been recovered. He has until a July 21 court date to come up with the remaining coins and enter a guilty plea or face indictment by a county grand jury, said New York assistant district attorney Roslynn Mundell.

Suros was arrested in New York in April on suspicion of grand larceny in connection with the theft of the coins, and was released on $7,500 bail. Society officials originally reported that 83 coins, valued at more than $500,000, had been stolen.

Curators are now estimating that 86 to 91 coins were stolen, and possibly more, according to William Metcalf, chief curator at the society. As a member and contributor to the society, Suros was allowed to handle the coins. Society officials noticed that several coins from Spanish and Mexican collections would mysteriously disappear every time Suros handled the trays the coins were kept in.

Cover-Up Complicated Efforts

Attempts to cover up the thefts by replacing the missing ones with other coins from the collection have complicated efforts, Metcalf said. Curators are poring over more than 20,000 Old and New World coins in an effort to identify missing and displaced ones, Metcalf said.

“Sometimes we’ll think (a coin is) missing but it’s been moved to cover something else that’s been taken,” Metcalf said.

San Diego and New York police had found the stolen coins both in Suros’ collection and “on his person” while he was in New York, Mundell said. Suros is cooperating with investigators in locating the remaining coins and is not believed to have stashed them elsewhere, Mundell said.

Attempts to reach Suros and his attorney in New York were unsuccessful.