OC Man Pleads Not Guilty in Vintage Violins, Bank Robbery Case

Published on May 29, 2024

A 57-year-old man pleaded not guilty May 28 in downtown Los Angeles to federal charges of stealing expensive violins and robbing a bank in Irvine. Mark Meng of Irvine faces wire fraud and bank robbery counts in an alleged scheme to steal high-end violins and resell them for his personal gain from August 2020 through April of last year, and for the bank robbery, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Trial was tentatively scheduled for July 16 in Santa Ana federal court. Meng is accused of stealing an 1823 Lorenzo Ventapane violin valued at $175,000; a 1903 Guilio Degani violin valued at $55,000; a 1913 Caressa & Francais violin worth $40,000; an 1870 Gand & Bernardel violin worth $60,000; and a Francais Lott violin bow worth $7,500, according to court records....

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