The Tolkien Enthusiast
The Lord of the Rings Movie Project

Silly File: Theft Cases

The Lord of the Rings brings out the best in most people - it is, after all, a story about ideals. Unfortunately, such is not the case with all people.

Making the news in the middle of 2000 was a story about theft from production company Three Foot Six.

FRIDAY, 21 JULY 2000

Another case arising from "Rings"

A second man has appeared in the Auckland District Court charged with offences relating to the film set of Lord of the Rings.

The 39-year-old company director, who has interim name suppression, faces four charges of theft between July 19th last year and June 24th this year.

He is charged with stealing a number of scripts, props, VHS cassettes and costume designs from the film company totalling a value in excess of $1500.

The accused was released on bail with a number of conditions and will appear in court again on August 4th.

Police say another man has been arrested in connection with money laundering charges relating to the Lord of the Rings production.

Earlier this month another Auckland man pleaded guilty to charges relating to selling advance footage from the production being filmed in Wellington.

And another story from the same day:

FRIDAY, 21 JULY 2000

Second man faces charges in wake of ring thefts

Police have arrested and charged a second man in relation to the $360 million movie trilogy The Lord Of The Rings, including the theft of two swords from the project.

Detective Constable Tony Darroch said a 39-year-old man was arrested in Auckland on Thursday by Wellington detectives on four charges of theft. He was due to appear in Auckland District Court on Friday.

Mr Darroch said exhibits in the case included design concepts, images and props, including two swords, from the Peter Jackson-directed project.

In June the trilogy's producers stopped United States Internet auctioneers Ebay from auctioning a sword claimed to be from the films. Producer Barrie Osborne said at the time it believed the sword was a fake, as none had been been given away, sold or lost.

The arrest is the second in Operation Piece, a police investigation under way since May, after approaches from Jackson's Wellington-based Three Foot Six film company. Footage from the film was offered for sale on the Internet. Last month a 36-year-old man was arrested in Auckland, charged with making a VHS copy of film footage, money laundering, fraudulently dealing with a film and theft as a servant of two video cassettes.

The man, whose name is suppressed, pleaded guilty last week to one charge of receiving three videotapes and another charge of dealing in a reproduced document. Three other charges were withdrawn. The man will be sentenced next month.

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The Tolkien Enthusiast The Lord of the Rings Movie Project

Silly File: Theft Cases

The Tolkien Enthusiast
The Lord of the Rings Movie Project