THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, March 18, 1996 TAG: 9603180057
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
A Florida man faces federal charges in the theft of scores of rare documents from several colleges, including the University of Virginia.
Gilbert Bland Jr., 47, of Boca Raton, is accused of stealing valuable objects of significant cultural heritage and transporting valuable stolen property across state lines, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office in Roanoke.
Bland was charged in a three-count information filed in U.S. District Court in Roanoke. An information is an alternative to an indictment as a means of starting a criminal prosecution. It represents an accusation by federal officials.
The FBI discovered about 150 documents, mostly dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, in a storage shed in West Palm Beach, Fla. Only Bland had access to it. The documents, which were found in good condition, are being held by the FBI as evidence.
If convicted, Bland faces up to 30 years in prison without parole and a fine of $750,000.
The charges stemmed from an investigation started by U.Va. police. The U.Va. maps were first discovered missing in December.
KEYWORDS: THEFT MAPS UVA by CNB