MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – A 36-year-old Tampa man is back behind bars after deputies said he failed to appear in court for a case involving the theft and sale of rare Spanish gold coins worth over $50,000 in the Lower Keys area.
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Keiontae Raneake Osean Smith was arrested Thursday in Tampa by Monroe County Sheriff’s Office detectives, working in coordination with the Tampa Fugitive/Narcotics Task Force, MCSO spokesman Adam Linhardt confirmed Tuesday.
Jail records show Smith is facing an additional charge of failure to appear in court, along with his original charges of grand theft and dealing in stolen property. He is currently being held on a $1 million bond.
The charges stem from an incident in August when deputies said Smith agreed to purchase two Spanish gold coins from a Lower Keys resident for $53,750.
Investigators say Smith showed the victim a photo of a wire transfer confirmation as proof of payment.
However, the funds were never transferred, and the victim later discovered Smith had provided a fake bank tracking number, according to Linhardt.
Over the course of the investigation, authorities said they found that Smith had used a false name during negotiations and even offered a fake credit card number to complete the transaction.
Smith was initially arrested in connection with the theft of the rare coins but was later released on a $200,000 bond, records show.
After failing to appear for his scheduled court date in Key West, authorities began their search for him, which they said ultimately led to his arrest in Tampa.
