A $250,000 Art Heist Ends in a Prison Sentence
In a scene that seems straight out of a movie, a man was apprehended in the midst of an audacious art theft in Scottsdale. Harpreet Singh, 33, was sentenced to five years in prison after admitting to stealing significant art pieces valued at approximately $250,000.
The incident took place at the American Fine Art Gallery in Old Town Scottsdale. According to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, Singh was discovered during the act of the heist in January 2024. An alert gallery employee, who responded to a triggered burglary alarm, immediately contacted authorities upon finding artwork missing and hearing noises from the gallery’s upper office.
Law enforcement officials reported discovering Singh’s BMW parked strategically beneath an emergency access ladder. They also found burglary tools and several abandoned art pieces on the gallery’s rooftop. The stolen items included three works by Picasso and two by Warhol, highlighting the audacity of the theft.
Following his arrest, Singh was sentenced to five years in prison, with credit for time already served. His sentence also includes three-and-a-half years of probation post-release.
Commenting on the incident, Mitchell stated, “Art heists may seem glamorous in the movies, but in Maricopa County, they end with a prison sentence instead of a dramatic getaway.”
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