BELMONT COUNTY — A couple was arrested after a traffic stop in Belmont County led to the seizure of thousands of dollars worth of antique coins and drugs, WCMH-4 TV and WTOV-9 TV reported.
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On Dec. 29, Jason Skaggs, 50, and Jasmin Skaggs, 29, were arrested for narcotics and weapons violations. Jason also faces charges of receiving stolen property, WCMH-4 reported.
As of 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Jasmine does not appear in the Belmont County jail records.
During the traffic stop, the Belmont County Sheriff’s Criminal Interdiction Unit found a handgun and drugs, including Fentanyl, crack, cocaine, and pills, WTOV-9 reported.
Deputies then decided to search the entire vehicle and found a box filled with antique coins.
On Dec. 22, the Grandview Heights Division of Police responded to a burglary at a home in the Village of Marble Cliff, WCMH-4 reported. Police estimated that the homeowner’s loss was around $500,000.
Belmont County detectives traced the coins found in the vehicle back to the alleged burglary, WCMH-4 reported.
Grandview Heights police traveled approximately 125 miles east to take the stolen property into custody.
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Officials estimate the value of the seized property is over $150,000. They believe an additional $350,000 worth of missing coins may have been sold to a third party, WCMH-4 reported.
“We got ahold of Grandview detectives,” Chief Deputy James Zusack told WTOV-9. “They came to our office (Wednesday) and interviewed the suspects. Their investigation is theirs. But it was a good job by our guys going over and beyond to see something in that vehicle that wasn’t quite right, make some calls and find out the quantity of coins and where they came from.”
The coins will be returned to the victim after the investigation ends.
This incident remains under investigation.