Erik von Detten accused of fraud by elderly couple over $2 million gold coin buy

Former child actor Erik von Detten is facing a lawsuit that accuses him of fraud and elder abuse.

Who is suing

Norman Greenberg, 97, filed the case with his wife Sheila Greenberg, 85. They are suing von Detten along with his employer Rosland Capital. The company trades in gold and other precious metals.

The couple claims the firm targets older people. They say it plays on seniors' money worries by pitching gold as a safe place to park savings.

How the deal unfolded

According to the suit, the Greenbergs phoned Rosland in 2020 after spotting a TV commercial. They were connected with von Detten.

They say they told him they knew little about gold but had roughly $2 million in retirement savings. They claim he won them over with his expertise. The pair placed two orders for Lady Liberty gold coins worth about $1 million. Von Detten later made another purchase of around $1 million.

The coins were never delivered to their home, the suit says. They were reportedly shipped to a storage warehouse instead.

What they say they lost

The couple claims the coins carried a steep markup. They say they paid about $2.1 million for coins worth $1.3 million. They put their damages at roughly $900,000 and want punitive damages too.

Rosland Capital filed for bankruptcy a few months after the case was filed. The claims have not been proven in court.