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KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A police sting handcuffed a suspected tuba thief, giving a University of Missouri Kansas City grad student a second chance at graduation.

"This is a dream I never thought would come true, really," said Josh Heston, who recovered one of his stolen tubas.

Two months ago, thieves stole two custom-made tubas from Heston's car. It forced him to miss a spring recital and delayed graduation.

Only NBC Action News was there when police, with help from Heston, caught a man trying to sell one of Heston's stolen horns in a midtown music repair shop.

"I was scared as you know what," Heston said.

So was Bryan Wolfe, who runs Heritage Music Repair. Last week, he says the suspect showed up and asked for $900 for the tuba. However, Wolfe says the suspect knew nothing about the instrument. But an employee, who knows Heston, recognized it. So, Wolfe called police and helped set up the sting.

"The police were here around the corner and I just had him come in," Wolfe said. "I said, 'Oh, you brought the tuba back,' very loudly. Then the police came out and arrested him."

Except for one dent, Heston's tuba is in good shape. But, there is another problem.

"Unfortunately, it's not my property any more," Heston said. "It's the insurance company. They own it."

The insurance company recently bought Heston replacement tubas so that he could move on, graduate and enjoy life. After, Wednesday night, Heston finally can.

"Other than getting married, this is one of the best days," Heston said. "It's getting reunited."

Heston's second tuba is still missing. But police believe the suspect in custody knows the instrument's whereabouts. Charges against him are pending.


I can't believe one of the horns showed up. I hope the CC tuba shows.......

We should all be very glad, when such stories end up with a happy ending. Hopefully the other tuba will surface also, and hopefully the ownership issue with the insurance company will be solved.

I haven't bought for my collection the last few years except for the Boosey 1923 F 3+1 comper just bought, but not yet arrived. It is a concern to avoid ending up as a fence. With the more costly instruments I try to buy only from people or stores with a reputation, they don't want to loose.

One question I have wondered about is how instruments bought out of military and university/school inventories at one point of their history could be marked as being legally in private ownership. We had this rotten story with a person trying to sell university owned instruments on the old TubeNet. The guy studied at that university so his scam was fortunately so clumsily made, that it was discovered. I don't remember names of neither guy nor university and these should not be mentioned here.

Klaus Smedegaard Bjerre

That's great news...I remember the thread when the horns were stolen, and remember feeling very bad for you (and, I'll admit, a little jealous that you could turn around and buy two new horns ). Congratulations, and I hope you get the other horn back as well!

udder cream wrote:"This is a dream I never thought would come true, really," said Josh Heston, who recovered one of his stolen tubas.

I suppose this means you aren't selling the case after all, heh, heh.

Make the insurance company buy the case from you to go with the tuba. If they don't, and you let them have the instrument, you know where I am.

Rick "happy that the bad guy is on his way to jail" Denney

Only thing left to do is a fair trial and a swift hanging

MikeMason wrote:Only thing left to do is a fair trial and a swift hanging

Hanging??? For stealing a tuba??!??!?!?

Don't you think you're letting the guy off a little too easy???

TMurphy wrote:
Hanging??? For stealing a tuba??!??!?!?

Don't you think you're letting the guy off a little too easy???

How about 20 to Life of round-the-clock accordion-piccolo concertos?

WOW! I am so glad that the tuba was recovered.

One thing I was thinking about, though, is that the individual apprehended might not be the actual thief. He could be just trying to sell it for the thief, or could've traded the thief something for the horn hoping to make some more cash.

In any event, great news! I wonder what insurance companies do in such situations . . . any chance they might just let you keep it? (I know, fat chance . . .)

jonesbrass wrote: In any event, great news! I wonder what insurance companies do in such situations . . . any chance they might just let you keep it? (I know, fat chance . . .)

If it is anything like cars, the insurance company would put a 'salvage value' on the horn and then sell it. After a claim is fulfilled, it does belong to the insurance company. If it was a 'once in a lifetime' horn, you could buy it from the insurance company. Of course, you financially would have to be able to pay for it at least until you sold the one you liked the best. (Or kept one as a spare. )

Also, depending on the price and the condition after the theft, it might be an opportunity for a tubafriend to have a known quality of horn at a bargain price.

Glad to hear this.

I hope the cops are pressing the scumbag to turn in his accomplice and disclose what has happened to the other horn.

Is anyone on this network familiar with the case? If so, for the benefit of all, which horn is still hot? What should we be looking for?

There was an interesting twist on this locally...someone had two professional level clarinets stolen, she collected from the insurance, and bought two replacements. Then a local music store bought the stolen ones from someone who came in, recognized them as hers, and called her (a month later.) She bought them for what they paid for them, which was something like $50 apiece. She then reported to the insurance company and asked if they wanted their money back. They said no, since she had *bought* them back, instead of simply having them returned. So now she has all four clarinets. I don't think anything happened to the music store for buying stolen goods.

So now it comes down to whether he likes the new ones or the old ones better?

And I think boiling valve oil is a good treatment for the thief and the fence.

MA

The Big Ben wrote:

jonesbrass wrote: In any event, great news! I wonder what insurance companies do in such situations . . . any chance they might just let you keep it? (I know, fat chance . . .)

If it is anything like cars, the insurance company would put a 'salvage value' on the horn and then sell it. After a claim is fulfilled, it does belong to the insurance company.

It probably depends on the insurance company. My policy gives me the option of returning the claim payment and repurchasing the recovered horn. With two of my horns, I'd keep the new one; I'd repurchase the other one.

sungfw wrote:

The Big Ben wrote:

jonesbrass wrote: In any event, great news! I wonder what insurance companies do in such situations . . . any chance they might just let you keep it? (I know, fat chance . . .)

If it is anything like cars, the insurance company would put a 'salvage value' on the horn and then sell it. After a claim is fulfilled, it does belong to the insurance company.

It probably depends on the insurance company. My policy gives me the option of returning the claim payment and repurchasing the recovered horn. With two of my horns, I'd keep the new one; I'd repurchase the other one.

That's a good option.

Only reason I brought this up is from my brother's experience with a car. It was totaled *twice* and he bought it back both times. The accidents were the other guy's fault and the car was drivable and my brother did not care. He took the 'totaled' settlement and bought it back at a lower 'salvage' price. I think he made about $200 each time.

This story had a good ending. Unfortunately, many stolen items are never recovered. Just be careful with your stuff and be certain to make a record of the serial numbers of your horns. The way musical instruments are bought, sold, and traded all over the country (World), I frankly surprised we don't see more of this type of thing.

I make it a point to record the serial number of every horn that passes through my hands... whether it's being bought, sold, traded, or just repaired. It's very difficult to make a snap determination about the history of an instrument. Of course, if York #3 walks through the door and the fellow transporting it wants $100 for it... I'm certainly going to question him a bit about where he got it. But... at the same time, I'll be reaching for my checkbook! Just because it's a good deal doesn't necessarily mean it's stolen.

Scooby Tuba wrote:

Randy Beschorner wrote:

TMurphy wrote:
Hanging??? For stealing a tuba??!??!?!?

Don't you think you're letting the guy off a little too easy???

How about 20 to Life of round-the-clock accordion-piccolo concertos?

I only two words for scum like this guy:

Bag Pipes!

Um ... are you sure that's not a mistake. I'm pretty sure you meant to write "Trumpet Christmas."

Scooby Tuba wrote:Trumpet Christmas is fugly.

Believe it or not, I know a guy fancies himself both a lead trumpet player and a bag piper!

Is this the same scumbag we were discussing before!

TMurphy wrote:

MikeMason wrote:Only thing left to do is a fair trial and a swift hanging

Hanging??? For stealing a tuba??!??!?!?

Don't you think you're letting the guy off a little too easy???

He didn't say what part of his body they would hang him from!