A Wisconsin man pleaded guilty Wednesday for his role in stealing a 300-year-old violin, the Associated Press reported.
Universal K. Allah admitted to supplying the stun gun used to steal the violin, worth $5 million, from a concert master in January. Allah could be sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine pending his sentencing in July.
The 36-year-old Milwaukee man told police he gave the stun gun to Salah Salahadyn, a 42-year-old man who was previously sent to prison for stealing a $25,000 statue, the AP reported.
Salahadyn reportedly used the stun gun to attack musician Frank Almond as he left a concert in Milwaukee, causing him to drop the violin and allowing Salahadyn to grab it and run away, Reuters reported.
Allah was not present at the time of the robbery, according to a criminal complaint, the AP reported.
Police found the violin nine days later in a suitcase in the attic of a home of someone Salahadyn knew. He pleaded not guilty to robbery charges in February, however his case is still pending and a hearing is scheduled for June 30, the AP reported. It is not immediately clear why the suspect's lawyer requested another plea date for his client.
The $5 million violin, which was recovered in good condition, was made in 1715 by noted Italian instrument maker Antonio Stradivari. The master reportedly crafted over 1,000 instruments.
There are an estimated 600 to 650 Stradivarius instruments left, many of which are owned by private collectors. The violins are often lent to musicians who play them in symphonies. Stradivarius violins are said to last years if played continuously.
Salahadyn reportedly once told an unnamed witness that stealing a Stradivarius violin "was his dream theft" because of its value, Reuters reported. He said the violin could be "snatched from the hands of a musician as they walk down the street."
Salahadyn faces up to 15 years in prison if he is found guilty.
