Scott County Man Arrested in Jackson County for Counterfeit Precious Metals Fraud Investigation

A Scott County  man was arrested and accused of selling counterfeit silver and gold bars in a scheme that allegedly defrauded a Jackson County resident out of $38,000.
On May 26th, deputies with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a fraud complaint after a Jackson County resident discovered that hundreds of silver bars he had purchased over several weeks were counterfeit.

The victim reported spending approximately $38,250 on what he believed to be genuine silver bullion.
The victim sought independent testing from a coin dealer utilizing specialized metal-analysis equipment. The examination determined that the tested bars contained no silver and were counterfeit.

Detectives with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department initiated an investigation and reviewed transaction records, social media communications, and other evidence. During the investigation, detectives learned the suspect was attempting to arrange the sale of additional purported precious metals, including gold bars valued at approximately $210,000.
On June 2nd (Tuesday),  investigators conducted a controlled operation at a Jackson County residence.
When the suspect arrived to complete the transaction, detectives took him into custody without incident. Additional suspected counterfeit gold and silver bars were seized as evidence.
Subsequent testing of the seized items indicated that nearly all of the purported precious metals were counterfeit.
James Everett Jenkins,  of Scott County, Indiana, was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail and is facing two felony counts of fraud.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Sheriff Rick Meyer encourages anyone purchasing precious metals through private transactions to verify authenticity through reputable dealers before completing a sale involving significant amounts of money.
Anyone who believes they may have purchased precious metals from James or Kathy Jenkins or who may have information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact Detective Sergeant Jesse
Hutchinson or Detective J.L McElfresh at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department at 812-358-2141.

James Jenkins, Photo Courtesy of Jackson County Sheriff’s Office