Stolen Pipes Alert

[Bill]

I was just looking at Marty Pulvers' site (Pulversbriars.com) and he had a request to be on the look out for any sudden offerings of Bo Nordh pipes from unusual sources. My guess is that eBay will be used, but outside the US, to fence these.

The theft was the result of a burglary in California yesterday evening.

June 10, 2009
ALERT: I just this moment (9:00 Tues. night) received a call from an old friend as well as a good customer. His house was burgled, and a complete cabinet of his pipes was stolen. He had, almost exclusively, very high grade pipes, including twenty Bo Nordh pipes, one of which was a very recognizable Ramses. His focus was on extremely fine straight grain pipes. If you are approached with the possibility of acquiring high grade pipes from a dicey source, please contact your local authorities because this is felony material, it is not a misdemeanor. Also, please contact me immediately so that I can alert the victim. Finally, please let everybody you know in the hobby of this event. We are a small community and it is not impossible that we can recover some, if not all, of these pipes. The theft took place in Walnut Creek, Calif., but the pipes could surface anywhere. Thank you.

 

[Olivier]

What a sick bastid. It's worse than stealing somebody's beloved dog or worse.................your wife :shock:

 

[Anonymous]

Yep,
I say start organizing a lynch mob. Reminds me of a break in where they stole a humidor full of cigars and a bottle of Johhny Walker Blue.

 

[Richard Hester]

There is a special place in Hell for anyone to still a mans pipes
Best Regards
Richard

 

[Hermit]

They caught the guy.
(I don't remember the details.)

 

[Anonymous]

They caught the guy.
(I don't remember the details.)

Anyone got the details?

 

[Doc Manhattan]

Marty Pulvers had an item about it on his front page a week or two ago; it's gone now but here's what I remember:

- Someone who knew about the thefts saw something matching the description on eBay.
- The eBay seller had no idea he was being used as a laundering operation, took them down, cooperated with relevant authorities.
- With his help, they tracked down the person trying to fence the pipes. It's not clear if he was the actual thief or just a middleman, but he knew he was in on selling stolen merch. He also was on parole/probation so got real snitchy real quick. So more arrests are coming/already happened.

And there endeth what I can recall.