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Irvine Man Charged with Robbing Bank, Stealing $282,475 Worth of Violins
LOS ANGELES – Mark Meng, 57, of Irvine, California, has been charged with bank robbery and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to steal high-end violins and rob a bank in Orange County, the Justice Department announced today.
Meng is accused of stealing five high-end violins and a violin bow from various shops across the country, with a total value of $282,475. The stolen items included a Lorenzo Ventapane violin, dated 1823, and valued at $175,000; a Guilio Degani violin, dated 1903, and valued at $55,000; a Caressa & Francais violin, dated 1913, and valued at $40,000; a Gand & Bernardel violin, dated 1870, and valued at $60,000; and a Francais Lott violin bow, stamped “Lupot,” and valued at $7,500.
According to the complaint, Meng contacted violin shops across the country to express interest in receiving violins on loan for a trial period to determine if he wished to purchase the instruments. He allegedly gained the trust of these stores by representing himself as a collector, and in some cases, he purchased violin bows before asking for violin trial periods.
After receiving each violin on a trial-period basis, Meng kept the violins and ultimately sold them to a violin dealer in Los Angeles who was unaware of their stolen origin. Meng allegedly sold the stolen violins for a total of $150,000.
Following his scheme to steal the violins, Meng allegedly robbed a bank branch in Irvine on April 2, wearing a hat, sunglasses, a bandana covering his face, and blue latex gloves. He handed the bank teller a note stating “$18,000. – Withdraw. Please. Stay Cool! No harm. Thx.” After obtaining money from the bank teller, Meng fled the bank in his white minivan.
Law enforcement personnel determined that a latent print from the robbery note was identified as belonging to Meng. Officers ultimately tracked the minivan back to Meng’s house, where he was arrested several days later.
A complaint is merely an allegation, and Meng is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Meng would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on both the bank robbery count and the wire fraud count.
The FBI’s Art Crime Team investigated this matter, with assistance from the Irvine Police Department and the Glendale Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Alexander and Mark A. Williams, both of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, are prosecuting this case.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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