Mark Meng of Irvine posed as a connoisseur interested in growing his collection - but instead stole instruments that area stores had loaned him, ... Meng knew violins from playing the instrument.

Ventapane was a Neapolitan violin maker who lived from 1780 to 1843, according to Tarisio, a marketplace for high-end violins. Meng stole the Ventapane as well as a Guilio Degani violin from 1903 ...

Amongst the stolen instruments was a 200-year-old violin valued at $175,000. Skip to content. All Sections. Subscribe Now. 65°F. Wednesday, June 11th 2025 Today's e-Edition. Home Page.

Mark Meng, 58, was sentenced this week to 46 months in federal prison. ... After receiving the violins, Meng would send the original owners personal checks he knew would bounce, ...

Ventapane was a Neapolitan violin maker who lived from 1780 to 1843, according to Tarisio, a marketplace for high-end violins. Meng stole the Ventapane as well as a Guilio Degani violin from 1903 ...

Between August 2020 and April 2023, Mark Meng, 58, contacted violin shops across the country, posing as a musical instrument collector interested in buying valuable violins, prosecutors said.

IRVINE, Calif. (KTLA) – A California man convicted of orchestrating a scheme to steal valuable violins, and then robbing a bank when he realized federal investigators were closing in on him, has ...

Between August 2020 and April 2023, Mark Meng, 58, contacted violin shops across the country, posing as a musical instrument collector interested in buying valuable violins, prosecutors said.

Amongst the stolen instruments was a 200-year-old violin valued at $175,000. Skip to content. All Sections. Subscribe Now. 61°F. Tuesday, April 15th 2025 e-Edition. Home Page. News.

An Irvine man was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for stealing and selling high-end violins and robbing a bank, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday, March 26 ...