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Man Sentenced for Elaborate Chinese Manuscript Heist
9 Jul
Summary
- California man sentenced for stealing ancient Chinese manuscripts.
- He used faux names and created forged copies to return.
- The stolen manuscripts were valued at approximately $216,000.
A California man, Jeffrey Ying, 39, has been sentenced for an elaborate plot to steal ancient Chinese manuscripts from the UCLA Library. Ying pleaded guilty to the theft of major artwork and received a sentence of time served, approximately one month in jail, followed by one year of home confinement.
Prosecutors stated that Ying rented valuable Chinese pieces, some dating as far back as 1393 and 1575, using faux library card names such as Jason Wang, Alan Fujimori, and Austin Chen. He then allegedly returned forged duplicates to the library. Surveillance footage confirmed the same individual checked out the missing documents.
Authorities tracked Ying down and discovered equipment and blank manuscripts in his hotel room, which prosecutors believe were used to create 'dummy' books. Between December 2024 and July 2025, Ying is accused of stealing approximately $216,000 worth of rare literature. He pleaded guilty to stealing a 17th-century manuscript from China's Qing dynasty.
