Eugene Police Special Investigations Unit detectives have arrested Amanda Laine Bryant, 37, of Waldport, Oregon, for Aggravated Theft in the First Degree -By Deception, in a case involving the sale of fake gold bars to a Eugene man. On July 2, a Eugene man in his 40s, reported to the Lincoln City Police Department that he had purchased some gold bars earlier in the year in Lincoln City for approximately $18,000 in cash from Bryant. A short time after he purchased the ‘gold,’ he took them to a pawn shop where he found they were worthless metal, gold stamped in a dye.
Between June and August 2021, Bryant contacted the victim on numerous occasions to sell more “gold bars,” and on August 25, 2021, an SIU detective opened an investigation in the Eugene area regarding Bryant. The detective worked the case and today Bryant agreed to meet the victim in Eugene to sell him more ‘gold.’ At noon, SIU undercover detectives instead of the victim showed up to meet with Bryant in the 1500 block of Willamette, with an agreement to receive payment via email. Once Bryant spotted a marked police vehicle, she began to jog away, northbound on Willamette, ditching a carrying case in a flower box. The SIU detective in charge of the case stopped Bryant and ultimately placed her under arrest for Aggravated Theft in the First Degree - By Deception for offering for sale a product she knew to be fictitious with the intent to defraud the victim She has been lodged at Lane County Jail on a charge of Aggravated Theft in the First Degree. Case 21-13274
If anyone believes they have purchased gold bars from Bryant, please call 541.682.5111 and refer to case 21-13274.
Tips for Avoiding Fake Gold Bars or Silver
- To prevent being taken advantage of, make sure you are purchasing from a reputable business dealer or verified website
- Before purchase, check the bars' purity, form, size, and weight
- Make sure you store your bars in a secure location and consider insurance