Wealthy Heart Doctor Indicted in Coin Thefts

A wealthy heart surgeon from Coronado was indicted on criminal charges Friday in New York, where he allegedly stole rare coins valued at more than $1 million from a prestigious collectors society.

The two-count indictment unsealed in New York State Supreme Court charged Dr. Juan B. Suros, who also uses the name of Juan XII, Count of Besalu, with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.

The 48-year-old surgeon was released on his pledge to post $50,000 bail by Wednesday, said Gloria Montealegre, a spokeswoman for the New York district attorney’s office. If convicted, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 25 years in prison on the more serious grand larceny charge, which is a felony.

Montealegre said her office plans to file an additional charge of perjury against Suros, saying that what he told investigators about the alleged theft differed from his sworn testimony before a New York grand jury.

Suros is accused of stealing about 71 rare Spanish and Mexican coins from the American Numismatic Society at the group’s Manhattan offices. The thefts allegedly occurred between Dec. 1 of last year and April 15.

The society is known as an international center for the study and exhibition of coins, medals and paper money. The collection is open for viewing to society members, scholars and historians by permission, and viewers are required to register their names and the items they wish to study.

Coins Reported Missing

Early this year, curators reported that numerous coins were missing, and an inspection showed that Suros, himself a sophisticated coin collector, was among the last people to register for viewing, officials said.

Later, Suros made more visits and more coins disappeared, officials said. He was arrested April 15 at the Harvard Club in New York, where authorities found 13 of the society’s coins in Suros’ briefcase.

Officials in San Diego later obtained a search warrant and seized Suros’ private collection, containing about 2,000 coins.

Montealegre said the district attorney has now recovered all of the original 71 missing coins.

Suros, who was graduated from the University of Barcelona in Spain and is considered one of the ablest heart surgeons in the country, was not in his office Friday and could not be reached for comment.

Montealegre said that, after he was arrested, Suros gave a videotaped statement in which he said he took the coins “because he loved them so much he just had to have them.”

She said he told a different story under oath to the grand jury, but she declined to elaborate on that testimony.

She also declined to comment on earlier legal negotiations between Suros and the district attorney’s office that arose after the society offered not to prosecute Suros if all the coins were returned.