Chinese ancient books in the US were replaced by Chinese-Americans
A user at the University of California, Los Angeles Library has been charged with allegedly stealing valuable Chinese ancient books and returning counterfeit copies. According to a message from the U.S. Department of Justice on August 7, the suspect, Jeffrey Yin (translated name), used multiple aliases to obtain these rare ancient texts, some of which are over 600 years old.
The 38-year-old Yin borrowed these ancient texts and returned counterfeit copies a few days later. When detectives raided the hotel where Yin lived in the Los Angeles area, they found blank fake samples that matched the style of the borrowed books. The charges state: "Law enforcement discovered pre-made samples related to these ancient books, which could be used to produce 'counterfeit' books to return to the library instead of the original books."
It is not yet confirmed whether the ancient books have been sold. Although the official has not disclosed the exact number of stolen books, testimony indicates that at least 10 ancient books are missing. In addition, Yin is also accused of stealing one book each from the 13th and 16th centuries under the name "Fujiben" in 2020. His book theft may have lasted for five years.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840127861149696/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.