After being featured on national media, the show Masterminds and Americas's Most Wanted the four were arrested and tried for the crime, which included using a stun pen on the librarian.
When the four thought enough time had passed they contacted Christie's Auction House in New York to see about auctioning off the stolen goods. This would prove their undoing.
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In December, four men were sentenced to seven years in prison for the 2004 theft of $735,000 worth of rare manuscripts and sketches -- including drawings by naturalist John James Audubon -- from the Transylvania University Library in Lexington, Ky. The four were accused of tying up and stunning the librarian with a Taser in what Wilkie called the first armed robbery targeting historic documents in U.S. history.
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Newly released court documents outline an elaborate scheme by four college students who stole some rare books from the Transylvania University Library.
Eric Borsuk, Warren C. Lipka, Charles Allen II and Spencer Reinhard stole works that included a manuscript of Charles Darwin's "On Origin of Species," from the special-collections library at Transylvania on Dec. 17. An e-mail address used to set up appointments with Transylvania librarians and Christie's auction house, where the men tried to sell the books, led to their arrests in February.
The four pleaded guilty to robbery and other charges in March and will be sentenced Dec. 6.
In the documents filed Friday, prosecutors say Reinhard, Allen and Borsuk should receive 11 to 14 years in prison. Lipka, whom they describe as the ringleader, should receive 14 to 17 years, prosecutors said.
Defense lawyers say the men should receive roughly half the prison time recommended by prosecutors. Defense attorneys filed their sentencing recommendations Friday as well.
The men used color-coded nicknames - "Mr. Black," "Mr. Green," "Mr. Pink" and "Mr. Yellow" - inspired by the 1992 movie, "Reservoir Dogs." The film was about a botched robbery.
One of the documents reads like a robbery to-do list. It lists three phases of the robbery and points of concern, including how to obtain the "GTAV" (Get to and Away Vehicle), where to put the "loot," and in capital letters: "DISGUISE!"
"This document shows a meticulous plan, which apparently was continually revised up until the day of the robbery," Assistant U.S. Attorney David Marye wrote in the sentencing recommendation.
Prosecutors also suggest that the men were going to rob the Transylvania library Dec. 16, when a "Walter Beckman" - now known to be Lipka - set up an initial appointment to see some of the collection.
"They went to Transylvania University library dressed up in various costumes which appeared to be something one would wear if they were performing in a play," Marye wrote.
For unknown reasons, that attempt was called off.
But just before noon on Dec. 17, Lipka, again posing as Beckman, went to the special-collections section and later let in Borsuk. Lipka used what prosecutors think was a stun gun on librarian B.J. Gooch. Borsuk tied her feet and Lipka pulled a stocking cap over her head.
The two men left on an elevator, which they had difficulty operating, according to court documents. A librarian who heard the elevator making strange noises saw Lipka and Borsuk get off with books she knew should have stayed in the special-collections library.
When the librarian went to the special-collections library and found Gooch, she alerted another librarian to stop the men. The men left by the exit several books that they say were too heavy.
A sticking point between prosecutors and defense lawyers is the value of the items stolen, and whether to include items that the men tried to steal but ultimately left at the library.
Under the federal sentencing guidelines, the value of what was stolen and the type of force used are factors in how much time a defendant receives. Defense lawyers also argue that a stun pen - which is smaller than a stun gun and delivers less of shock - was used to subdue the librarian.
Defense lawyers have hired experts to appraise the value of the stolen items and to testify on the difference between a stun gun and a stun pen.
Prosecutors question whether the stun pen exists. During a search of the home shared by Allen, Borsuk and Lipka, officers found several stun guns but no stun pens, according to court documents.
Lawyers for Borsuk and Lipka said Monday they hoped their clients would receive less than 10 years.
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved