US man pleads guilty in theft of USD 5M violin

A US man today pleaded guilty to providing the stun gun used to rob a concert master of a USD 5 million Stradivarius violin.
Universal K Allah, 36, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a USD 50,000 fine when he's sentenced in late July.
Allah provided the stun gun used to attack and rob a violin concert master in January, according to the criminal complaint. The concert master dropped the instrument, and the robber grabbed it, jumped into a waiting vehicle and fled.
Allah told investigators the thief was 42-year-old Salah Salahadyn, a Milwaukee man who previously served prison time following the theft of a USD 25,000 statue.

Salahadyn had also been heard talking about stealing high-end art, and said his "dream theft" was to snatch a Stradivarius violin because of its potential value and because it could be taken from a musician walking down the street, a confidential source told police.
Salahadyn is also charged with being a party to felony robbery. He pleaded not guilty in February, but his attorney has requested another plea date.

A second plea hearing typically would not be scheduled unless the accused person was considering changing a plea. That hearing is set for June 30.
The 300-year-old violin, which has been appraised for insurance purposes at USD 5 million, was missing for nine days before police recovered it in good condition. It was found in a suitcase in the attic of a Milwaukee home where Salahadyn's acquaintances lived, although police said the homeowner didn't know what was in the suitcase.

Allah's defense attorney, Paul Ksicinski, didn't immediately return a message today. The criminal complaint says Allah wasn't at the scene of the robbery, Ksicinski has said.