Coin dealer accused of scamming customers out of thousands of dollars – it's not the first time

A coin dealer is sitting behind bars after investigators said he promised his customers gold coins and silver bars from his booth at a Manatee County flea market. They said he actually scammed them out of tens of thousands of dollars.  

Who is Seth Lutz?

The backstory:

Seth Lutz, who operated under the name "Steve's Best Coins," was described as a fast talker. 

"He had to be very good at convincing people in order for them to shell over that amount of cash," said Randy Warren, who is with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. 

READ: Suspected hit-and-run driver arrested in deadly Lakeland crash: Police

When people came to his booth at the Red Barn Flea Market in Bradenton, he promised them gold and silver in the form of coins and bars. 

"People were duped into believing they were going to get something," said Warren. 

What we know:

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said three customers are out of more than $60,000, after Lutz never delivered on his promise. 

"There was a plethora of excuses as to why he couldn’t do it, even blaming his supplier," said Warren.

VIDEO: Man arrested for DUI after being found unresponsive in running car, HCPD says

Booking photo of Seth Lutz. Courtesy: Manatee County Sheriff's Office. 

Investigators said this wasn't the first time Lutz pulled off this crime, but they said this time he was giving customers a different first name, so they couldn't look up his past.

His criminal history

Dig deeper:

"He’s a con man," said Warren. "He’s done it before, and it’s just sad that people would trust him enough to be able to give large sums of cash, expecting to get the product that he had no intention of giving them."

Lutz was previously arrested in Pinellas County on 27 charges of grand theft after taking more than $220,000 from 31 customers over a five-year period. He served five years in prison and was on probation when he set up shop in Manatee County. 

"He obviously doesn’t know how to do anything else except go out there and scam people out of their hard-earned money," said Warren. 

What they're saying:

One of his recent victims spoke with FOX 13 over the phone. 

MORE: Sheriff plans to hold dog owner accountable after 8-year-old Florida boy's brutal killing

"I thought I had done business with him before. Well, he’s local. That counted for something, but it’s just very unfortunate," said the man, who didn’t want to be identified. 

As the days and months dragged out, he knew he would never see the gold he’d paid for. 

"Fortunately for the world, there aren’t that many people like that, but I need to be careful," he said. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office provided information about the case. 

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: 

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

BradentonCrime and Public Safety