A 57-year-old man was accused this week in a federal criminal complaint of stealing old violins worth more than a combined $300,000 from shops across the country, and robbing an Irvine bank in April, authorities said.
Mark Meng, of Irvine, was charged Monday, May 7, with counts including bank robbery and wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Beginning in August 2020, Meng contacted violin shops and presented himself as a collector to gain the trust of the store owners, according to the complaint. He would express interest in receiving violins on loan for a trial period to determine if he wished to purchase the instruments, even buying violin bows from the stores before asking for the trial period.
Meng kept the violins he received on loan to sell to a violin dealer in Los Angeles who was unaware the instruments had been stolen.
The violins that were stolen 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.
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The scheme continued until April 2023.
Later that year, Meng became aware he was under investigation after FBI agents called him in for a meeting regarding the stolen violins, according to the complaint.
On April 2, Meng is alleged of entering a U.S. Bank Branch in Irvine — wearing a hat, sunglasses, a bandana and latex gloves — and demanding money from the teller. The teller was passed a note stating “$18,000. – Withdraw. Please. Stay Cool! No harm. Thx.”
The teller was unable to provide Meng with the amount requested, instead handing him $446 from the register before he fled in a white van, the complaint said.
Meng was arrested around a week later at his Irvine residence after authorities determined a fingerprint on the note handed to the teller belonged to Meng, and has remained in custody.
Meng could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if found guilty of both the bank robbery count and the wire fraud count.