EUGENE — Police detectives arrested a Waldport woman on charges of first-degree aggravated theft Thursday for trying to sell fake gold bars to a Eugene man.
Amanda L. Bryant, 37, is in the Lane County Jail after a short foot chase in downtown Eugene.
In a news release, police said that on July 2 a Eugene man reported to Lincoln City police that he had purchased some gold bars earlier in the year in Lincoln City from Bryant for approximately $18,000 in cash. A short time after he bought them, the man took them to a pawn shop where he found they were worthless metal, gold stamped in a dye.
Between June and August, police said Bryant contacted the man on numerous occasions to sell more “gold bars.” On Aug. 25, a Eugene Police Department detective opened an investigation of Bryant.
On Thursday, police said Bryant agreed to meet the man in Eugene to sell him more ‘gold.’ At noon, undercover detectives instead of the man showed up to meet with Bryant in the 1500 block of Willamette Boulevard, with an agreement to receive payment via email. Once Bryant spotted a marked police vehicle, she began to jog away and ditching a carrying case in a flower box.
The lead detective stopped Bryant and arrested her for first-degree aggravated theft by deception for offering for sale a product she knew to be fictitious with the intent to defraud.
Police asked that if anyone believes they have purchased gold bars from Bryant, please call 541-682-5111 and refer to case 21-13274.
