Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
An Irvine man has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for stealing high-end violins and robbing a bank. Mark Meng, aged 58, was sentenced by United States District Judge David O. Carter, who also scheduled a restitution hearing for June 24.
Meng pleaded guilty in September 2024 to wire fraud and bank robbery charges. He has been in custody since May 2024.
From August 2020 to April 2023, Meng executed a scheme to steal valuable violins under the guise of being a musical instrument collector. He contacted violin shops nationwide, expressing interest in trial periods for violins with the intent to purchase them. However, after negotiating prices and keeping the instruments beyond trial periods, he issued checks that were rejected due to insufficient funds.
In some instances, Meng falsely claimed he had returned the violins via mail when contacted by the shops about payment issues. Eventually, he ceased communication with them altogether.
Meng resold these violins during their trial periods without disclosing their stolen status. For instance, on February 1, 2023, Meng obtained a Guilio Degani violin valued at $175,000 on a trial basis but attempted to sell it before the agreed return date of February 10.
Court documents revealed that Meng also stole several other valuable violins and bows:
- Lorenzo Ventapane violin (1823), valued at $175,000
- Guilio Degani violin (1903), valued at $55,000
- Caressa & Francais violin (1913), valued at $40,000
- Francais Lott violin bow stamped “Lupot,” valued at $7,500
- Gand & Bernardel violin (1870), valued at $60,000
- French Charles J.B. Colin Mezin violin valued at $6,500
- German E.H. Roth Guarneri violin valued at $6,500
Meng sold three stolen violins and one bow for a total of $44,700 despite knowing he did not own them.
In January 2023, Meng expressed interest in obtaining more violins from an Alexandria shop with fraudulent intentions.
On April 2, 2024, Meng robbed an Irvine bank wearing disguises and demanded money from a teller using a note stating: “$18,000. Withdraw. Please. Stay Cool. No harm. Thx.” When informed that his demand could not be met fully by the teller who feared harm; she handed him $446 instead.
The FBI’s Art Crime Team led this investigation alongside assistance from Irvine Police Department and Glendale Police Department while Assistant United States Attorneys Laura A Alexander along with Mark A Williams prosecuted this case within Environmental Crimes Consumer Protection Section respectively."
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