'Buried' Currency found in Methuen, MA in 2005

disposed by settlement/agreement feb 2009 in civil suit after larceny charges dropped


http://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n41a21.html

The E-Sylum:  Volume 10, Number 41, October 14, 2007, Article 21

NEWBURYPORT CURRENCY FIND CASE CHARGES DROPPED

Dick Hanscom forwarded this article from the Newburyport 
Daily News about the case of the roofers who 'found' a stash 
of old currency alleged to have been taken a barn in Newbury, 
MA where they had been working.

"Larceny charges have been dropped against two men who 
originally claimed they found antique currency worth an 
estimated $720,000 buried in a Methuen yard two years ago.

"Barry Billcliff of Manchester, N.H., and Tim Crebase of 
Methuen were later charged with stealing the money while 
working on a barn roof owned by Sylvia Littlefield of Newbury.

"Prosecutors yesterday in Newburyport District Court said 
they will no longer pursue larceny charges against them. 
That decision comes one month after a judge in Newburyport 
said he, too, is unwilling to bring the pair to trial.

"Meanwhile, work moves forward in a civil case, where 
Littlefield claims she is the rightful owner of the antique 
bills. She has sued Billcliff, Crebase, two of their friends 
and the city of Methuen, demanding the bills be returned.

"Claiming herself in charge of the estate of her great uncle 
Newell Adams, Littlefield argues that Adams must have hidden 
the bills on his farm, where he once operated a cider press 
and sold hard cider to locals.

The civil suit is filed in Newbury Superior Court. Lawyers 
are expected to decide in February on a trial date."

http://www.eagletribune.com/news/local_news/sports-park-drops-zorb-compa...

AMESBURY — Just weeks before launching the region's first "Zorb ball" attraction, Amesbury Sports Park has abruptly dropped the company that was set to implement the activity after discovering its founders were involved in a bizarre "buried treasure" case that grabbed national attention.

The sports park has planned an extensive grand opening to promote the launch of the Northeast's first Zorb ball park — a hugely popular activity in New Zealand and overseas — where participants climb inside a giant, clear, inflatable ball and roll down a hill.

Park officials told The Daily News they planned to partner with Barry Billcliff and Matt Ingham of Zorb New England, who were going to provide the park with five Zorb balls, each costing $10,000 apiece. The pair would give exclusive rights guaranteeing no other facility within 70 miles of Amesbury could use Zorb balls from Zorb New England. It was to be Zorb New England's debut as well.

But park management abruptly reversed course shortly after a media demonstration at Woodsom Farm this week, when questions were raised about Billcliff and Ingham's involvement in a well-publicized 2005 case of alleged larceny of antique money from a Newbury barn.

"Amesbury Sports Park has decided not to sign an LLC with Zorb New England as of last night," Sports Park Vice President Mary Carol Fowler told The Daily News yesterday, adding the park had no prior knowledge of the 2005 case and that she was "stunned" to learn of it.

Zorb ball and a summer tubing program are still planned to start in June, she said, but the facility will find another vendor for the Zorb balls.

Billcliff, of Manchester, N.H., and a friend, Tim Crebase of Methuen, made national headlines in 2005 after claiming to have found $720,000 in antique money buried in the backyard of a friend's home in Methuen. They went on a media blitz, appearing on shows such as Good Morning America and CNN with their amazing story of buried treasure.

But within days, inconsistencies appeared in their stories, and Methuen police charged Billcliff and Crebase with stealing the antique money. They were arrested shortly before they were to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Police said Crebase and Billcliff found 1,800 rare bills, dated from 1899 to 1928, stashed long ago in the eaves of Sylvia Littlefield's Newbury barn. They had been hired to do roofing work on the building.

Police believed the two then convinced Kevin Kozak of Methuen, and Ingham of Newton, N.H., to say the money was discovered while doing landscaping work in Kozak's backyard in late April 2005.

The accused men have publicly denied that they stole the bills, and the criminal charges were dropped in February 2006 after defense attorneys questioned the validity of a confession Crebase made to police. In February 2007, Newbury police tried to refile charges in Newburyport District Court, but the attempt was denied because a judge said the defendants had been denied a speedy trial.

But Littlefield has filed a civil case against Billcliff and Crebase and two friends, including Ingham. A trial date is still pending in that case, Littlefield said this week.

Billcliff, who helped organize the media event this week and posed for photos in a Zorb ball, initially asked that The Daily News not mention that he was involved in the Zorb ball company, which the newspaper refused to do.

When reached on his cell phone last night, Billcliff acknowledged the contract had been severed with Amesbury Sports Park, but said he would press on with his company. He said has long-range plans and sees it as a way to pursue something he enjoys.

"The biggest thing I want to do is put an American twist on it," he said. Billcliff said his company has a goal to bring zorbing to several facilities in each state and offer it a price far less than anywhere else in the world — closer to $10 to $20 per ride, which is half the price of zorbing in other countries.

Billcliff said he also is working with a company in Newton, N.H., to expand on zorbing by adding more features — like cameras inside the balls to take photographs. Other projects include adding balls that can be used in waterfalls or to cross a lake, he said.

"The sky is the limit," Billcliff said.

http://www.masscourts.org/eservices/;jsessionid=5CC53425EFFC9B7D0CFDFC6E...