Kansas Woman Indicted for Defrauding Elderly Victims

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas woman was indicted by a federal grand jury for interstate transportation of solen goods.
Amanda Rutherford, 45, was indicted on one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods for traveling across the state line to sell stolen coins. Rutherford traveled to Missouri to sell over $100,000 in gold and silver coins that belonged to an elderly couple who resided in Kansas. 
The Dickinson County, Kansas Sheriff’s Office received a report in 2022 that several items, including firearms and collector coins, were stolen from the farm of an elderly couple. Rutherford lived on their property and claimed to be a caregiver for the couple. In early 2024, the Sheriff’s Office received a tip that Rutherford had sold gold coins to a jewelry store in Clay County, Missouri and had received several checks totaling $100,000. The Sheriff’s Office was able to confirm this information and served a search warrant on her vehicle soon after she cashed those checks at the bank. In conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Sheriff’s Office found newly purchased merchandise, the remainder of the bundled currency, and other coins belonging to the victims in the vehicle. The victims identified the remainder of the coins as part of those that were stolen from their farm in 2022.  
Under federal law, it is illegal to transport stolen goods across state lines. If convicted, Rutherford faces a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Hanson. It was investigated by the Dickinson County, Kansas Sheriff’s Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).