theft

Celebrity Chef's Lamborghini Stolen in Daring Heist at San Francisco Dealership

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Celebrity Shopping, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Cars get stolen all the time, but a few elements about this story make it stand out. First of all, this was no ordinary car. Secondly, it didn't belong to just anyone. And thirdly, it wasn't stolen with a simple coat hanger and a pair of pliers.

The story coming in from San Francisco reports the theft of a yellow 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo belonging to celebrity chef Guy Fieri from a local exotic car dealership. According to the report, police figure the thief climbed up onto the roof of the dealership, rappelled down on a rope, busted open the garage door and drove off with the Lamborghini.

[Source: San Francisco Chronicle]

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Tags: car theft, celebrity chef, grand theft auto, guy fieri, lamborghini, lamborghini gallardo, san francisco, theft

Pete Sampras Loses The Majority Of His Trophies

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Legendary tennis star Pete Sampras has been the victim of a storage space robbery. Sampras, who amassed medals, trophies, plaques, rings and other pieces from winning 64 tournaments and being a finalist in many others, put much of his memorabilia in a storage center in West Los Angeles. Three weeks ago he found out that dozens of boxes, many containing these trophies, had been stolen. The LA Times quotes Sampras as saying that he has 13 of his 14 Grand Slam trophies but that his first Australian Open trophy is gone. Sampras also lost magazines with himself on the cover, related news stories and some other pieces that he treasured including a signed piano bench from Elton John and a signed guitar from Carlos Santana.

Sampras had rented two units to store furniture and boxes while he and his wife, actress Bridgette Wilson, and their sons Christian and Ryan moved from Beverly Hills to Thousand Oaks and a home in the hills surrounding Sherwood Country Club (this home was our estate of the day back in March when it was listed at $25 million). They later moved to Brentwood. Sampras was stunned to find out that his things had gone missing. He said that the police have no leads and Sampras has gone public in the hope that someone who knows something might come forward. Given the unique nature of these pieces, it's not likely that they would surface on the public market.

Tags: pete sampras, storage center, storage facilities, theft

$4,000 of Rare Wine Grapes Stolen Off the Vine in Washington

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

The owners of Grand Rêve Vineyard in Red Mountain, Washington are reeling after an unexpected and mind boggling crime: sometime over the last week $4000 worth of rare grapes were stolen right out of their vineyard. Coined 'The Great Grape Caper of Red Mountain' the theft was clearly well planned and cleverly executed as the thieves made off with a ton (literally) of very specific and exotic grapes called Bushvine Mourvedre. Because they ignored every other kind of grape and did such a clean and complete job it's being considered the work of professionals. "Whoever it was, knew what they were doing." said Ryan Johnson, one of the vineyard partners and manager. "They were very thorough."

Mourvedre grapes are usually only found in areas of southern France and are often used in valuable, high end wine. 'Head trained' to grow as a bush instead of on a long trailing vine, they're particularly labor intensive and this harvest was a bit of an experiment that started way back in 2008. "The most frustrating thing about this is we waited three years to see what these vines would do," said Johnson. "This was our opportunity to see what the future might hold for us."

At this time authorities have no suspects but think it was an 'inside job' by someone familiar with the tightly-knit Washington wine community. Paul McBride, the other partner at Grand Rêve, said "For somebody in the state to think 'Gosh, I have just got to have that Bushvine Mourvedre,' that takes a real wine geek." Plus the thieves had to know where the grapes were, how and when to harvest them, and have a means to quickly sell them or make wine. This was no spur of the moment effort.

If there's any bright spot in this dark cloud it's that the thieves may not have gotten quite as great a bunch of grapes as they could have. According to Johnson "The grapes are good right now, but if they'd waited another 10 days, what they got would have been absolutely phenomenal. They missed out."

The stolen grapes are valued at about $4000 but estimates put the wine they would have made at worth over $30,000.

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Tags: crime, grapes, theft, wine

Former Money Manager Defrauds Investors of $800-$900 Million

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Former Money Manager Admits to Defrauding Investors of $800-900 Million

Former money manager Paul Greenwood, 62, pleaded guilty in late July to securities fraud, admitting that he cheated charities, schools, pension funds, and others out of $800-$900 million, even using some of those funds to buy collectible Steiff Teddy Bears and invest in horses. He faces up to 85 years in prison and hundreds of millions of dollars in fines. Sentencing is set for December 1, 2010, and an auction to sell the Teddy Bears and other "collectibles" is expected later this year.

Greenwood, a hedge fund manager and the general partner of WG Trading Co., pleaded guilty to six charges including conspiracy and securities fraud and is cooperating with the United States against co-defendant Steven Walsh, who pleaded not guilty. Greenwood and Walsh, his fellow manager of WG Trading and WG Investors, were indicted last July on charges that they conspired to defraud investors of $554 million. The U.S. said the scheme stretched from 1996 until their arrest in February 2009.

Greenwood said he entered into the conspiracy with Walsh and that the two claimed they had an "index arbitrage fund" that promised institutional investors high returns. He and Walsh took out money for their personal use, "in excess of $75 million," he said, spending the money on "a house, a horse farm [that previously was owned by Paul Newman and his wife, Joanne Woodward], and antiques."

According to the plea agreement, Greenwood will have to forfeit at least $331 million to the government, representing the money he and Walsh allegedly obtained as a result of their securities and wire fraud. Greenwood also agreed to pay the U.S. an $83.5 million judgment, the proceeds he "personally obtained" as a result of the fraud.

The case is U.S. v. Greenwood, 09-cr-722, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan). Read the full story, as reported by Bloomberg, here.

Tags: crimes, fraud, Greenwood, indictments, Paul Greenwood, theft

Auction House Robbed In Sweden

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Crimes and Misdemeanors

Sweden's Bukowskis auction house was planning a spring sale to run June 1 through 4 but those plans were disrupted when thieves raided the auction house on Thursday. Three masked and armed men made off with approximately $1.5 million in jewels. Bloomberg reports that Bukowskis was set to sell 300 pieces of jewelry including a jeweled collar with white and yellow diamonds.The thieves took off in a car which was later found abandoned near the scene of the crime. No one was harmed.

Tags: bukowskis, jewel heist, jewel theft, robbery, sweden, theft

Picasso Among Works of Art Stolen from Paris Art Museum

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Art

A valuable Pablo Picasso painting was stolen early this morning from the Paris Museum of Modern Art by a masked thief. The robber also stole four other important works of art with total value estimated to be somewhere between $120 million and $616 million, according to Paris enforcement officials.

The stolen works of art that were cut from their frames include Picasso's The Pigeon with the Peas, Amedeo Modigliani's Woman with a Fan, Georges Braque's Olive Tree near Estaque, Henri Matisse's Pastoral and Fernand Leger's Still Life with Chandeliers.

Indeed, a similar theft took place in 1990 at Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The 13 stolen works of art that were cut from their frames have yet to be recovered. The museum is offering a reward of $5 million for information leading to the recovery of the missing works in good condition.

The theft comes only a few weeks after Picasso's 1932 masterpiece, "Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust" was sold for $106.5 million, a world record auction price for any work of art. The painting, which was from the collection of Mrs. Sidney F. Brody, was sold by Christies New York.

Tags: art, art theft, Christies, france, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, paris, Picasso, theft

Usher Demonstrates Why You Don't Keep Valuables In The Car

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Crimes and Misdemeanors

One of the basic tenets of keeping yourself and your belongings safe is to not keep valuables in your car. Apparently singer Usher didn't get the memo. Atlanta police are reporting that more than a million dollars in jewelry and electronics were stolen from the singer on December 14 across from Atlanta's Lenox Mall. Usher and another man told police that the car was broken into when they stopped at an AT&T store. The vehicle in question is a black GMC Yukon and in addition to jewelry, $50,000 in furs and clothing and about $20,000 in cash were stolen. At witness saw a Chevy Impala with tinted windows drive up to the SUV and open the door. The investigation is ongoing.

The singer is famous for his love for fashion and his extensive shoe collection. It also bears mentioning that his Alpharetta, Georgia home remains on the market for $1.95 million.

[via E Online]

Tags: atlanta, theft, usher, UsherRaymond

Stolen Cartier Jewels Recovered

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Often after a jewelry store robbery the jewels are broken up and disappear into the black market never to be seen again. But police in Lyon, France got lucky. The AP reports that they have recovered nearly 800,000 euros ($1,181,900) worth of jewels stolen which were taken last month from the Cartier jewelry store in the southeastern French city. The jewels were stolen in a smash and grab on November 26 in which thieves rushed in during business hours, used a sledgehammer to break open reinforced glass and then grabbed handfuls of jewelry and watches. Police were searching the apartment of a suspect in another jewelry theft when they came upon the treasure trove of stolen loot. The suspect has not been caught.

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Tags: cartier, france, jewelry, theft

Ten Warhols Lifted from West LA Home

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

andy warhol ali The thief was a sports fan, it seems. Ten pieces by pop art king Andy Warhol – showing famous sports figures – were swiped from a home in West Los Angeles, according to local police. The 40 square inch silkscreens were stolen around September 2 and September 3. The owner, businessman Richard Weisman, is offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the multimillion dollar collection.

Times may be tough for the art market, but a large collection of Warhols is still definitely worth a $1 million reward.

The paintings were displayed in Weisman's living room, and the doors to the house were locked. Nobody's sure how the thieves got into the house ... well, nobody knows but the thieves (obviously). The family nanny noticed that the paintings were missing and dashed off to a neighbor's house to call the police.

Among the missing are pieces depicting O.J. Simpson, Pele, Chris Evert and Muhammad Ali. The exact value of the collection is unknown, but Weisman had tried to sell it for $3 million in 2002. In 2007, of course, Warhol became the top seller at auction worldwide, so even in the current art slump, it's hard to imagine the collection hasn't appreciated.

Other artwork in the house was untouched, and the home had not been ransacked, leading the police to believe that the thieves were only interested in Warhol.

So, once again, the LAPD is trying to track down O.J.

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Tags: andy warhol, AndyWarhol, art, art collection, ArtCollection, artwork, chris evert, ChrisEvert, crime, entertainment-awards, muhammad ali, MuhammadAli, oj simpson, OjSimpson, pele, theft, warhol

Rare Birds Stolen From English Museum

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Crimes and Misdemeanors

Art thefts at museums are regrettably fairly common but this may the first I've heard of a bird theft. England's Natural History Museum at Tring says that someone has been walking off with their rare bird specimens. The thieves have stolen around 300 bird skins from an archive of rare tropical birds. The thefts were discovered in June after a break-in but museum officials aren't sure when they were actually stolen. The examples chosen included a number of brightly-colored tropical birds and the thieves could have stolen them for a collector or for other uses. The colorful plumage could end up in fishing lures, dresses or even costume jewelry. Professor Richard Lane, Director of Science at the Museum, said that the "birds that were stolen formed part of the nation's natural history collection, painstakingly assembled over the last 350 years."

[via AP]

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Tags: birds, museum, natural history, NaturalHistory, theft

Orlando Bloom's Home Robbed

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Actor Orlando Bloom has become the latest celebrity burglary victim. His Hollywood Hills home was recently broken into and the LA Times is reporting that thieves walked away with around $500,000 in jewelry, cash and artwork. Bloom is out of town but a relative discovered the break-in on Wednesday. Bloom is far from the first star to be the victim of a house robbery. Thieves absconded with around $2 million in jewelry from Paris Hilton's home last year.

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Tags: orlando bloom, OrlandoBloom, robbery, theft

Monica Bellucci's Parisian Home Burglarized

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Celebrity Shopping

Her recent trip to Cannes may have proved costly for beautiful actress Monica Bellucci. While she was away at the film festival, an apartment in Paris belonging to her and her husband Vincent Cassel was broken into and the thieves took off with around $111, 000 in jewelry as well as a couple of laptop computers and Bellucci's Italian passport.

Gallery: Jewels Gone Missing

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Tags: jewelry, monica bellucci, MonicaBellucci, theft

$88 Million Art Investment Scam Revealed in NYC

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

Reuters reported a few days ago that a sophisticated $88 million art investment scam was revealed in New York on March 26. Art dealer Lawrence Salander, 59 (at right), was arrested at his New York home on March 26, when he and his gallery were charged with 100 counts, including grand larceny and securities fraud. Salander pleaded not guilty in New York's Supreme Court and his bail was set at $1 million. He faces up to 25 years in prison on the most serious charge.

Former tennis champion John McEnroe was duped along with Bank of America, investment firms, art owners and collectors. So far, authorities have identified 26 victims of Salander's scheme, including McEnroe, who lost $2 million after investing a half share in two paintings, Arshile Gorky's Pirate I and II. The share in the paintings was sold at the same time to another collector, and McEnroe never recouped the money, authorities said.

Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau said the scheme, which lasted from 1994 - 2007, included luring investors who paid cash in exchange for shares of ownership of works of art. "He sold artwork not owned by him and kept the money and lured investment money in fraudulent investment opportunities," Morgenthau said. Salander used the money to fund "an extravagant lifestyle" of lavish parties and private jets, he said.

The investigation of Salander, the former owner of Salander-O'Reilly Galleries (shuttered in 2007), continues. Other estates he looked after included paintings of the late father of actor Robert De Niro.

Most of the artworks, which are yet to be valued, are being held in the custody of a bankruptcy court in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Many of the investors have filed civil claims against Salander and his gallery, which filed for bankruptcy and closed in 2007.

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Tags: art, criminal, John McEnroe, Lawrence Salander, LawrenceSalander, Robert De Niro, Salander, scam, theft

Queen Latifah's Jewels Stolen

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping

Queen Latifah is the latest celebrity theft victim. The rapper turned actress is vacationing on the island of Tobago at the Villas at Stonehaven. E Online reports that she is staying with a family member who was actually the victim of the robbery. The theft occurred while they were enjoying a private barbecue brunch thrown by the management. A bracelet, gold rings and some silver jewelry were taken for a total of around $10,000. It is believed that the robbery was an inside job as there was no sign of forced entry.

Gallery: Jewels Gone Missing

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Tags: jewelry, queen latifah, QueenLatifah, theft

Boxer Loses Million-Dollar Jewels In Home Robbery

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Boxing champ Floyd Mayweather may be dressing a little plainly lately. Last month burglars broke in to his Las Vegas home, and, according to the pugilist, made off with around $7 million in jewelry. The home was empty when a window between the master bedroom and pool area was smashed and the valuables were stolen. The security camera footage has been little help in ascertaining the identity of the four bandits who broke in.

As David Mayo of the Grand Rapids Press notes, last year on HBO Mayweather demonstrated that he doesn't believe in credit cards and believes in liquidity, shocking the camera crew by showing off $1 million in cash stored in a duffle bag in his bedroom. Mayweather is notoriously spendy, wearing flashy jewelry, giving lavish tips and gambling big on sporting events but after this he will likely be a lot more careful about where he stores his bling.

Tags: boxing, floyd mayweather, FloydMayweather, jewels, las vegas, LasVegas, theft