There’s more to the U.S. Marshals Service than what you see from Tommy Lee Jones in “The Fugitive” and the follow-up film, “U.S. Marshals.” Part of what the real agency does is seize millions of dollars worth of goods from criminals and put up the pricey goods on the auction block. Bloomberg Businessweek analyzed the agency’s scores over the years. Here are the most interesting and expensive items auctioned off in this week’s Five For Friday.
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#5: Crypto & Gold
The value of items auctioned by Marshals ballooned in 2021 and 2022, thanks in large part to cryptocurrency seizures, according to the Bloomberg analysis.
The government timed the market perfectly, making $39.5 million from a sale of Bitcoin in 2021 when a single coin demanded nearly $60,000. The feds also made $12.6 million in Bitcoin seized from a dark-web drug dealer and another $12.5 million in Ethereum from another dark-web entrepreneur. Cryptocurrency is often tied to crime but in a more classic take, feds sold just shy of $100,000 in gold in 2019 from a woman who trafficked marijuana throughout the country.
#4: Art
Art is seen as one of the best ways for nefarious actors to launder money. These next two items came out of the $4 billion 1MDB scandal. Andy Warhol’s Round Jackie, which is literally a round portrait of Jackie Kennedy, sold for $1 million. Meanwhile, Ed Ruscha’s Bliss Bucket sold for $370,000.
There was also a movie poster for 1927’s Metropolis, an iconic film from the silent era, that sold for $1.1 million. Leonardo DiCaprio is also rumored to have one of these rare posters.
#3: Trading Cards
Trading cards have traded up to first-class investments in recent years. Unfortunately for good-guy collectors, the bad guys are aware of the appreciation.
Last year, Marshals auctioned off a Charizard Pokémon card for $43,000. That sounds like a lot, but the criminal in question paid $58,000 for the card with some of the $85,000 he stole from COVID relief funds. U.S. Marshals also sold a 1952 Mickey Mantle card for $105,000, but it was only rated a 7 out of 10. The same card with a 9.5 rating sold for $12.6 million last year making it the most expensive sports card ever sold.
A word to the wise: Don’t play with the cards.
#2: Luxury Goods
Criminals can be somewhat predictable in their purchases. U.S. Marshals auctioned off 44 Rolex watches in 2018 alone. The most expensive Rolex they sold that year was the “Everose” Gold Sky-Dweller, which sold for $33,000.
The most expensive watch in recent years is a limited edition Richard Mille “Black Phantom” timepiece, which sold for $269,000 at auction. Other luxury goods include a collection of Hermes bags that sold for $26,000 and 12 pairs of Louboutins for $6,000. They must have been pre-worn because that sounds like a deal.
#1: Sweet Rides
Speaking of predictable, people who are up to no good tend to like their high-priced rides. An Irish Sport Horse named Cinda fetched $60,000 at auction in 2020. For the seafaring type, a 2014 Ferretti yacht brought in $3.2 million at auction and a pair of Boston Whaler Outrage Motor Boats sold for $815,000 after Marshals seized them from a man that defrauded lottery winners.
You have to be bold to buy a plane with money you got from illegal activities, and it certainly happens. A 1994 Raytheon Hawker 800 sold for $405,000 at auction. Supercars are also a hot commodity for society’s underbelly. U.S. Marshals got $760,000 for a 1991 Ferrari F40 seized from a man that stole $13 million from Veterans Affairs.
