theft

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Thief's Ex Clueless She Had Stolen Stradivarius for Years

Says she almost fainted when appraiser said they had to call the FBI

(Newser) - Philip Johnson was dying of pancreatic cancer when he brought his former wife, Thanh Tran, to the basement of his home in Venice, Calif. Under a tarp weighted down with bricks was a violin case with a combination lock. He gave the case to Tran and didn't say a...

How a Stolen Stradivarius Surfaced After 35 Years

Roman Totenberg was right to suspect Phillip Johnson: FBI

(Newser) - Violinist Roman Totenberg always suspected who stole his $250,000 1734 Stradivarius violin from his office in Cambridge, Mass., after a concert in 1980. Security cameras spotted violinist Phillip Johnson, then 27, lingering outside the room and Johnson's ex-girlfriend later said he had taken it. Without proof, Totenberg could...

Now Entering Our Lexicon: Hamster Theft

Couple felt class pet 'was alone and they wanted a hamster'

(Newser) - Normally, burglars target things like expensive electronics over things like, say, small, ubiquitous rodents, but police in rural Maine say a couple has been busted with swiping a hamster named Link from the kindergarten classroom of the Cornville Regional Charter School last week, reports Central Maine . Though the pair's...

Guy Swipes $150K That ATM Workers Left on Curb

Whoops.

(Newser) - The cash might have been sitting right there for the taking, but cops are now looking for the man who yesterday swiped a bag filled with $150,000 from a curb in Mahwah, NJ, the AP reports. Police don't know who took the money yet, but they do know...

Couple's Stolen SUV Returned —With Upgrades

Thief helped get the broken down Durango running at least

(Newser) - If your broken-down vehicle is going to be stolen, at least hope it’s by a thief who knows how to handle a wrench. KHOU reports a couple in Texas were understandably bummed when their 2004 Dodge Durango disappeared from the shoulder of Highway 59 in Cleveland where it went...

7 Stolen Rare Pythons May Die If Not Returned: Owner

Snakes taken from Ohio pet store are all in need of medical care

(Newser) - Seven rare pythons have been stolen from an Ohio pet store, and the company's CEO is desperate to get them back because none of them are in great shape, Cleveland.com reports. Five of the snakes lifted from Akron Rattery and Reptile Rescue on Saturday evening are sick with...

Stolen Cabin Turns Up 10 Miles Away

Police: Suspect was 'planning on living in it'

(Newser) - A stolen cabin has been discovered 10 miles from where it was plucked from its foundation in northeastern Washington. A tip led authorities yesterday to a "very remote, narrow road down in a ravine" on private property, where the 200-square-foot "Hempel Hideaway" was found, owner Chris Hempel tells...

Family Discovers Theft at Cabin—the Entire Cabin

Hempels of Washington state get a rude surprise

(Newser) - The Hempel family has a name for their vacation property in rural northeastern Washington: "Hempel Hideaway." But thanks to thieves, that name has now taken on a new, unfortunate meaning. When Chris Hempel arrived at the 20-acre property in Springdale on Tuesday, she found something odd. "We...

Hackers Rob Up to $1B in 'World's Biggest Bank Raid'

Thieves allegedly infiltrate more than 100 banks worldwide

(Newser) - A hacking ring has allegedly stolen up to $1 billion from banks around the world in what appears to be one of the biggest banking breaches known; the Telegraph calls it the "world's biggest bank raid." The hackers have been active since at least the end of...

How an Angry Thief Gave America Its 1st Big Sex Tape
How a Criminal Found America's First Big Sex Tape
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How a Criminal Found America's First Big Sex Tape

And distributed it with money from a mobster's son

(Newser) - Remember an old sex tape, before Kim Kardashian, starring an actress and a rocker on a yacht? Well, the 1996 video that fully unveiled Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee only went public because an electrician stole it, a mobster's son funded it, and lawyers couldn't contain it, Rolling ...

Cops: Shopper Kills Thief Trying to Steal Air Jordans

Man had concealed weapon at the ready

(Newser) - What Jawaad Jabbar didn't know when he allegedly confronted two shoppers who had just bought $200 Air Jordans and, pointing a gun at them, tried to steal the Nike shoes: One of those shoppers had a gun of his own. Police say that shopper shot the 16-year-old during the...

Indian-Americans Face String of Home Invasions

NJ victims describe having hands and legs duct-taped

(Newser) - Since Oct. 20, a single New Jersey county has seen at least five home invasions targeting Indian-Americans, the New York Times reports. Most occurred in late October, when many families celebrate Diwali—a holiday that frequently involves gold jewelry. The latest Middlesex County incident, however, occurred on Saturday. "They...

Date With Teen Twins Goes Very Badly for Man, 84

Paul Aronson ended up tied to coffee table for 20 hours

(Newser) - An Oct. 1 date with 17-year-old twin sisters he met online wasn't quite the dream encounter Paul Aronson may have had in mind—unless the 84-year-old's fantasies involved being tied to a coffee table and having his wallet cleaned out. Prosecutors say that after dining with the teens,...

Suspect in Chinese-Food Theft: Yellow Teletubby

Guy in Laa-Laa costume broke into friend's house: police

(Newser) - When a Teletubby gets hungry, there's no telling what it will do. In this case, Laa-Laa—the yellow one—allegedly broke into a friend's house at 2am Sunday and stole leftover Chinese food. The man dressed as the character had apparently been at a Halloween party, the Smoking...

Woman's Entire Cabin Gets Stolen

She was building it in the Yukon

(Newser) - It's not too often that your house isn't where you left it. But that was the case for Josie-Anne Pilotte, who spent three weeks building a cabin in the Yukon. Earlier this month, Pilotte headed to the building site to transfer the 200-square-foot cabin to her friends' property,...

6 Blamed in Elaborate Plot to Steal Dead Neighbor's Home

Thief pretended he'd been taking care of woman

(Newser) - Six different people were involved in a complicated plot to take ownership of a dead woman's home and car, police say. It started with one Romanoff Quarles, 43, of Philadelphia; he had his eye on the property of his neighbor Dorothy Kennedy, who had died with no heirs in...

LAPD Recovers Swiped Ed Sullivan Statue

20-pound bronze still in good condition, cops say

(Newser) - Ed Sullivan will be back in front of an audience soon, but it won't be a big show. An 18-inch solid bronze statue of the legendary television variety show host was recovered by Los Angeles police yesterday, four days after it was stolen. The LAPD says the 20-pound statue...

Town Helps Boys After Lemonade Stand Cash Is Stolen

Even 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' author offered distraught boys money, advice

(Newser) - Spencer Bergman really wanted a dog, and his mom said if he could save up $500, he could get one. His pal Spencer Tarbet needed to save money for Scout camp. So the two boys, ages 13 and 12, set up a lemonade stand over the summer in their Round...

NY Parking Cop Swiped $89K —in Coins

Jeffrey Daday could see 15 years in prison

(Newser) - Jeffrey Daday apparently liked to dip his hand into the cash register. Or more specifically, into parking meters. The New York man worked as a parking enforcement officer for five years in the village of Mount Kisco and stole $89,000 in coins over that time, police tell the Journal ...

59 Years Later, Hunt Is On for 2 Stolen 'Jennies'

$100K reward offered for missing stamps

(Newser) - In 1955, thieves stole four prized stamps—and more than half a century later, two still haven't been found. A dealer recently promised a $50,000 reward for each of the stamps, known as Inverted Jennies, the New York Times reports. A stamp library is also prepared to pay...

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