SALISBURY, Md. (AP) — Authorities say a Maryland man threw a friend’s valuable coin collection into a pond because he felt guilty about stealing it.

Citing court records, the Daily Times of Salisbury (http://delmarvane.ws/2k9BoGY ) reports that 39-year-old Joshua Jeffrey Lehman of Pittsville was cat-sitting for his friend last month when he stole the friend’s coin collection, which was worth almost $7,000.

When the friend returned to her Salisbury home, she discovered that the home was ransacked and the collection was missing.

Deputies with the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office say Lehman admitted Wednesday to selling off a few of the coins in a Wal-Mart parking lot before then throwing the rest of the coins into a pond because he felt guilty.

Lehman has been charged with theft between $1,000 and $10,000 in value.

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Information from: The Daily Times of Salisbury, Md., http://www.delmarvanow.com/