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Scottsdale art thief sentenced to prison
A man who authorities say broke into a gallery in Old Town Scottsdale and stole a quarter of a million dollars worth of art has been sentenced to five years in prison.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A man who authorities say broke into a gallery in Old Town Scottsdale and stole a quarter of a million dollars worth of art has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a felony theft charge.
The backstory:
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office says an alarm went off at the American Fine Art Gallery, located near Main Street and Scottsdale Road, during the early-morning hours of Jan. 7, 2024.
When an employee went to investigate, they found several pieces of art missing from the walls. MCAO says the employee also heard someone in an upstairs office and called police.
Scottsdale Police responded and located a BMW parked below an emergency access ladder. They then spotted someone on the roof.
"Officers set up a perimeter and made their way to the rooftop, where they found art pieces scattered around, along with a face mask, gloves, and several tools," MCAO said.
The suspect, 33-year-old Harpreet Singh, was found hiding on the roof of a nearby building and arrested.
Man accused of burglary following Old Town Scottsdale art gallery incident
Police say they managed to keep the suspect on the art gallery's roof before he was arrested with help from a K9 unit.
"Among the seven artworks he tried to steal were three Picassos and two Warhols," MCAO said.
Following his arrest and after posting bond, MCAO says Singh cut off his ankle monitor. He pleaded guilty to interference with monitoring devices and received over three years of probation.
What they're saying:
"Art heists may seem glamorous in the movies, but in Maricopa County, they end with a prison sentence instead of a dramatic getaway," Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said. "Thanks to the quick response from Scottsdale Police and MCAO prosecutors Richelle Burch and Jonathan Hutcheson, the only art this thief will be looking at for the next few years will be whatever’s etched on the walls of his cell."
Map of the art gallery