A Stradivarius theft sounds like the beginning of an international art-heist story. The 2014 theft of the Lipinski Stradivarius in Milwaukee turned out to hinge on something much smaller: evidence left by the Taser used in the robbery.
The violin, made by Antonio Stradivari in 1715 and valued at more than $5 million at the time, was being carried by Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Frank Almond after a performance when an attacker used a Taser and took the instrument.
The clue investigators could trace
The Milwaukee Police Department and the FBI began following multiple leads. Evidence from the Taser allowed agents to trace the weapon from its manufacturer to the purchaser. The trail led to a Milwaukee barber named Universal Knowledge Allah.
That did not immediately recover the violin. Investigators found the empty case, and arrests followed, but the Lipinski Stradivarius and two valuable bows were still missing.
The attic recovery
Nine days after the robbery, investigators were directed to a Milwaukee house. An FBI Art Crime Team agent entered an attic crawl space and found the violin and bows concealed inside an old suitcase and wrapped in a baby blanket.
The instrument was recovered in good condition and eventually returned to performance.
Why the case is memorable
What makes the case useful beyond its headline value is the investigative chain. A rare object worth millions did not require an exotic technological breakthrough to recover. Investigators used a traceable commercial product, basic records and coordinated police work to narrow the search.
The stolen Stradivarius became an FBI Art Crime Team case, but the decisive lead came from evidence associated with an ordinary weapon used during the robbery.
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