Would it surprise you to know that someone stole the torch used to light fire at the Olympics and scrapped it for $75? I wouldn’t. While this story takes a different twist, it still leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Utah authorities charged a consignment shop owner with forging paperwork so she could steal more than $1 million in property, including priceless Olympic memorabilia, from a former well-known Olympic booster.
My Finer Consigner owner Constance Lynn Millet, 55, of Highland; her boyfriend, Kurt Hunziker, 58, of Switzerland; and her son, Spencer Tidwell, 25, of Pleasant Grove, were charged with first-degree felony theft! . In addition, all three face a first-degree felony charge of theft by deception and Millet also faces a third-degree felony charge of forgery.
Among the more high-profile items reportedly embroiled in the theft case: a 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic games torch, which used to hang on a wall of Alma Welch’s home; boxes of Olympic paperwork that allegedly belong to the International Olympic Committee; and an autographed Lillehammer Olympic Commemorative plaque.
How much is an Olympic Torch worth? You can’t put a price on the original torch from the Olympic games, definitely more than $75.
How is Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney Involved?
Welch’s now ex-husband, Tom, once was the chief 2002 Winter Games organizer. He later resigned as president of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee — the job Mitt Romney eventually took over — following an altercation with his then-wife.
Alma Welch and Millet allegedly entered into a consignment agreement — Millet would sell certain items for Welch for a cut of the profits. That initial contract was reportedly worth about $45,000.
However, Olson said Millet became greedy and illegally altered the terms of the agreement, forging a new contract by writing in the margins of the original that she was now entitled to take all the property from Welch’s East South Temple home, all her property in storage units as well as property stored inside a warehouse. Olson said Welch was going through foreclosure at the time so she had a lot of her property stored in large storage lockers that Millet and her associates also wanted to get their hands on.
Striking when someone is down, Millet, Hunziker and Tidwell struck while Welch was indisposed and stole at least $1 million worth of property. Olson said Millet has already sold most of the high-dollar items, but hasn’t paid Welch a dime. Among the items that have vanished are the most expensive furniture and the Olympic torch and plaque.
Once again greedy people looking to make money without earning it the right way. Perhaps stop theft classes and harsher punishments for these crimes would go a ways toward reducing greedy thefts like this.
Source: http://www.sltrib.com