Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Vintage Violins, Robbing Bank

Published on September 17, 2024

SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 57-year-old man pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Santa Ana to a scheme to steal expensive, vintage violins and for robbing a bank in Irvine. Mark Meng pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bank robbery and was scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 24. Starting in August 2020 and through April of last year in Orange and Los Angeles counties, the defendant grifted violin dealers out of the high-end musical instruments, according to his plea agreement. Meng would contact violin dealers around the country requesting to borrow a violin for a trial period under the guise he intended to test it before buying it, according to his plea deal....

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