Fargo, N.D. (Valley News Live) – Leymah Lopai, a Fargo woman, has been arrested on felony theft charges after allegedly stealing over $500,000 worth of collectibles from her former employer, Bloc Galleries.
Lopai, charged with theft over $50,000, had worked at the business, which specializes in paper money banknotes. After months of investigating, the owner of Bloc Galleries contacted the police. Court documents indicate that Lopai was fired in May 2024, after a trade show in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. During a subsequent inventory review, the owner discovered that 500 collectible banknotes, valued at $250,000, were missing.
While Lopai returned about 130 banknotes, further investigation revealed an eBay account, Kynaid Collectables, selling items from the missing inventory. Police executed a search warrant at Lopai’s home, where they found 1,423 graded banknotes, valued at $400,000, along with large amounts of both U.S. and foreign currency and collectible coins.
In total, the stolen items recovered from Lopai’s apartment were valued at more than $500,000. Lopai initially told officers that she and the owner were business partners, but later confessed to stealing the items.