Post by Scumhunter on Nov 2, 2015 12:49:20 GMT -5
(Above photo credit: amw.com archives)
Fugitive Profile as of November 2nd, 2015: (based on 2006 AMW archives, please contact site if you have more recent information)
Full Name: Angel Ricardo Mendoza
Sex: Male
Race: Hispanic
Age at Disappearance: 42
Age Now: 52-54
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 210 lbs.
Hair (Color, Description, Facial Hair): Black
Eyes (Color and Correction): Brown
TIPS: Based on alleged crime description, our advice would be to call your local FBI field office or embassy or the U.S. Mint Police: www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/mint_police/
Missing Nickels Recovered
What started out as a routine pick-up of money from the Federal Reserve has turned into a mystery which has baffled cops up and down the east coast.
On December 17, 2004 Angel Ricardo Mendoza, 42, a contracted driver for Miami-based Geller Trucking, picked up a load of nickels at the Federal Reserve Facility in Rutherford, New Jersey. His destination was the Federal Reserve of New Orleans. Police say Mendoza had 3.6 million nickels, worth $180,000 in his truck. The load consisted of 900 bags full of the coins, weighing 50 pounds each, totaling about 22 tons.
Two days later, Mendoza surfaced in Midway, a small town near Tallahassee, Florida. Police say the next day Mendoza called his employers and said he was near Tallahassee and would be running late on his delivery due that afternoon. When he didn't show up at the Federal Reserve in New Orleans, officials contacted the U.S. Mint Police and the Federal Reserve, alerting them that there may be a problem.
The Investigation Into Missing Coins And A Driver
On December 21, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office in Fort Pierce, Florida got a call from the U.S. Mint police. They passed along that another Geller truck driver had spotted a Geller tractor trailer near the Flying J Truck Stop in Fort Pierce.
Det. Rusty Russell checked out the tip. He said the minute he saw the truck he knew "the gig was over." Det. Russell said the first thing he noticed was that the seal in the back of the truck was opened, which meant someone most likely took the load. He was right. The trailer was empty. Not one nickel was left behind. Also, there was no sign of the the driver. Det. Russell said there was no sign of forced entry or a struggle. "Nothing looked out of the ordinary," according to Det. Russell. However, he said most truckers back their trailers into the lot. This truck was parked front-end in first.
For weeks, Miami-Dade Police along with the FBI, the U.S. Mint Police and the Federal Reserve were trying to track down every tidbit on Mendoza. They have very little to go on -- no home, no friends, no family nearby. Sgt. Richard Mestre said "He's like a ghost," referring to Mendoza who lived in Miami after immigrating from Cuba in 1991.
Drug Search Leads To Marijuana And Nickels
Finally, after an 8-week search for 22 tons of missing nickels, cops got the break they needed. On Friday, February 4, 2005, the Miami-Dade narcotics unit responded to a tip indicating that marijuana plants were being grown in the Redlands section of unincorporated Dade County. After a consent to search, cops found 88 marijuana plants behind a barn, where several horses were being cared for. They also discovered several bags containing a large quantity of nickels inside a shed.
Aware of the missing nickels investigation, narcotic detectives contacted the Miami-Dade Cargo Theft Unit. When Sgt. Richard Mestre and his team showed up, they interviewed the resident of the property and learned that more nickels were buried under the ground. He ordered in the metal detectors and got a hit.
After digging, they discovered a tons of nickels four feet under the ground. The money was in the original bags, covered with clear plastic and a sheet of wood, which made it appear like a box. Police believe over $30,000 dollars in nickels are still missing. The recovered coins were carted off in trucks to the Loomis Fargo office in Miami where the money is being counted.
Sgt. Mestre says information indicates that after picking up the load of coins in New Jersey, Mendoza may have driven to Miami and with some help may have buried the coins. So far four men are in custody in Miami. However, the driver, Angel Mendoza is still missing."
Thoughts? This is the worst crime against nickels since the band Nickelback!
Mendoza was aired on the March 5th, 2005 episode of AMW. As far as I can tell he's still at large as of this posting date (11/2/2015) although the story seems to have fallen off the Earth since then. I put Florida as the wanted location since that's where police originally searched for him but the drive originated New Jersey and he was supposed to wind up in New Orleans. While I'm not trying to make light, this crime is too bizarre to not give a profile since we don't have proof Mendoza's no longer wanted.
Anyway, if the guy behind you at the grocery check-out lane is paying with a bunch of nickels, call authorities immediately.
web.archive.org/web/20060205080331/http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=29703
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