– Orange County man accused of stealing high-end violins and robbing Irvine bank
– Central District of California man charged with scheming to steal violins and rob bank branch in Irvine.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
LOS ANGELES – An Irvine resident, Mark Meng, aged 57, has been charged in a federal criminal complaint for his alleged involvement in a complex scheme involving the theft of high-value violins and a subsequent bank robbery in Orange County, as announced by the Justice Department.
The charges against Meng, which include bank robbery and wire fraud, were filed on May 7. He has been in state custody since April 11 and is scheduled to appear in United States District Court on May 9.
According to an affidavit submitted with the complaint, Meng is accused of orchestrating a plan to steal high-end violins to later resell them for personal profit. The stolen violins, each possessing significant historical and monetary value, included a Lorenzo Ventapane violin from 1823 valued at $175,000, a Guilio Degani violin from 1903 valued at $55,000, a Caressa & Francais violin from 1913 valued at $40,000, a Gand & Bernardel violin from 1870 valued at $60,000, and a Francais Lott violin bow stamped with “Lupot” valued at $7,500.
Meng allegedly contacted various violin shops nationwide, expressing interest in borrowing violins for trial periods under the guise of being a collector. He reportedly gained the trust of these establishments, sometimes purchasing violin bows before requesting trial periods for the instruments. Upon receiving the violins, Meng allegedly failed to return them and instead sold them to a Los Angeles-based violin dealer, who was unaware of their stolen origin.
Subsequently, following an FBI investigation into the stolen violins, Meng purportedly carried out a bank robbery in Irvine on April 2. Disguised with a hat, sunglasses, a bandana covering his face, and blue latex gloves, he handed a note to a bank teller demanding $18,000. After obtaining the money, Meng fled the scene in a white minivan.
Law enforcement officers identified a latent print on the robbery note as belonging to Meng, leading to his arrest at his residence several days later.
It is important to note that a complaint is an allegation, and the defendant is considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Meng could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for both the bank robbery and wire fraud charges.
The FBI’s Art Crime Team spearheaded the investigation, with support from the Irvine Police Department and the Glendale Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Alexander and Mark A. Williams, both from the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, are responsible for prosecuting the case.
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“Orange County violin theft scheme”
“Irvine bank robbery suspect”.
