Man Charged With Stealing Rare Chinese Manuscripts From University Library

The defendant allegedly used ‘dummy’ versions of the transcripts to replace the originals, according to prosecutors.

A student walks toward Royce Hall on the campus of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) on March 11, 2020. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

A man from the San Francisco Bay Area has been charged with allegedly stealing rare and historical Chinese manuscripts valued at about $216,000 from the library system of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California on Aug. 7 announced that Jeffrey Ying, 38, of Fremont, had been arrested recently. Ying is charged with theft of a major artwork, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.