Edwin Rist Sentenced (bird skin theif)

[Mato Kuwapi]

I knew this guy via another fly tying site I'm involved with. Got his just rewards, I'd say.





American sentenced for bird skin thefts

Saturday, April 16, 2011 Edwin Rist

A British court has sentenced the 22-year-old American accused of stealing 299 rare bird skins from the country?s Natural History Museum.
Edwin Rist, of Claverack, N.Y., received a two-year suspendend sentence for the thefts. His lawyer argued that Rist suffers from Asperger?s Syndrome, a mild form of autism, and that he was a ?James Bond fantasist? who imagined he might get away with the crime.
Rist sold some of the skins to salmon-fly tiers, and made an estimated $17,000 on the transactions. Most of the skins have been recovered, and Rist?s father reportedly has promised to make restitution for those that haven?t.
Some of the skins, especially those of the red-ruffed fruit crow, the blue chatterer, the resplendent quetzal and various birds of paradise, are worth more than $1,000 apiece.
The BBC has details on the sentencing.


For more:



http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2...ring93552.html

[Featherbender]

Just rewards? "Suspended sentence' sounds to me an awful lot like 'rich kid gets bailed out by rich dad'.

If you or I stole those skins, we'd be getting our meals through a slot in the door.

[zaxaca]

Just rewards? "Suspended sentence' sounds to me an awful lot like 'rich kid gets bailed out by rich dad'.

If you or I stole those skins, we'd be getting our meals through a slot in the door.

Agree. Suspended sentence...give me a break.

[luckie88]

Where's the Tar and Feathers? Well I guess we know who had the feathers... Little yuppie SOB, Karma will come around and kick him in the A$$, hopefully!

[Mato Kuwapi]

OOPS... Your right...when I read one of the articles it said he got 12 months imprisonment... Then I read "he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years and was given a supervision order for 12 months. " I'm confused. Nothing new there.

[nighthawk]

Why did they eve bother wasting the money on a trial? Snot nosed little punk needs to be tossed under the big house for at least 5-10. No parole, no suspended sentence and if you really are autistic then we will put you in another type of state run asylum too. Instead this little whelp goes free and daddy will pay his restitution.

What messed up world!