(Thechieftainspear) – An Irvine man who orchestrated a fraudulent scheme to steal rare violins—and later attempted a bank robbery when he realized authorities were closing in—has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison.
Mark Meng, 58, received a 46-month prison sentence this week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. A restitution hearing to determine financial penalties is scheduled for June.
Meng pleaded guilty last September to wire fraud and bank robbery charges after investigators linked him to multiple high-value violin thefts and a subsequent failed robbery attempt.
His scheme involved posing as a violin collector and reaching out to music shops across the country, requesting to borrow rare violins for evaluation. Once the instruments were in his possession, he sent personal checks he knew would bounce and continued to delay payments with false promises and additional fraudulent checks. In some instances, he claimed to have already returned the violins, falsely stating they were lost in transit.
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Instead of returning the instruments, Meng sold them to an unsuspecting violin dealer in Los Angeles. Among the stolen items were an 1823 Lorenzo Ventapane violin valued at $175,000 and an 1870 Gand & Bernardel violin worth $60,000. Two additional violins and a bow, totaling $100,000 in value, were also taken and sold.
The FBI launched an investigation into Meng’s activities, eventually linking him to the thefts.
Realizing he was under federal scrutiny, Meng attempted to rob a bank in Irvine. Disguised with a hat, sunglasses, bandana, and latex gloves, he handed a teller a note demanding $18,000 and urging them to “stay cool.” However, the teller only had $446 available, which Meng took before fleeing in a white minivan.
A fingerprint on the robbery note led investigators to Meng’s home, where they found the getaway vehicle. He was arrested days later and has remained in custody since.
The case was led by the FBI’s Art Crime Team, with assistance from local law enforcement. Though he faced a potential 20-year sentence, Meng will serve just under four years behind bars .
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