BROWNSTOWN, Ind. (WRTV) — A Scott County man was arrested in Jackson County on June 2, 2026, accused of defrauding a local resident of more than $38,000 by selling counterfeit silver and gold bars, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said in a Wednesday news release on its app.
James Everett Jenkins, 45, preliminarily faces two mid-level counts of fraud. Online records on Wednesday afternoon did not yet show a court case filed against Jenkins.
Deputies responded to a fraud complaint on May 26, 2026, after
A Jackson County resident told deputies on May 26 that he’d discovered that hundreds of silver bars purchased over several weeks were counterfeit. The resident, who was not identified in the release, reported spending $38,250 on what was believed to be genuine silver bullion.
A coin dealer used specialized metal-analysis equipment and determined that the bars contained no silver and were counterfeit.
Detective Sgt. Jesse Hutchinson and Detective J.L. McElfresh with the sheriff’s office reviewed transaction records, social media communications, and other evidence. They learned Jenkins was trying to arrange the sale of more purported precious metals, including gold bars valued at $210,000.
On Tuesday, investigators conducted a controlled operation at a Jackson County home. When Jenkins arrived to complete the transaction, detectives took him into custody without incident. Additional suspected counterfeit gold and silver bars were seized as evidence, and subsequent testing indicated nearly all of the purported precious metals were counterfeit.
Sheriff Rick Meyer encouraged anyone purchasing precious metals through private transactions to verify authenticity through reputable dealers before completing a sale involving significant amounts of money.
Detectives are continuing to review evidence and are seeking prosecutorial review regarding the possible involvement of an additional person. Anyone who believes they may have purchased precious metals from James or Kathy Jenkins or who may have information related to this investigation was asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 812-358-2141.
Jackson County, with 47,300 residents, is about a 90-minute drive south of downtown Indianapolis.
