Fremont man used ‘dummy’ books to steal ancient Chinese manuscripts from UCLA

A 39-year-old Bay Area man was sentenced to a year of home confinement and three years of supervised release for stealing ancient Chinese manuscripts from the UCLA library. Prosecutors said the man was charged with stealing $216,000 worth of “rare and historical” Chinese manuscripts from the library, which he would rent for days at a time before returning a “dummy manuscript” instead, according to an August 2025 Department of Justice news release.

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The man, a Fremont resident, will not have to pay a fine, but restitution fees are still to be determined, Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesperson for the DOJ’s Central District of California office, told SFGATE in an email. (McEvocy said that a previous news release stating that the man was sentenced to a year in prison was inaccurate.)

The man pleaded guilty in October 2025 to a felony charge of theft of a major artwork, McEvocy said, specifically a 17th century Qing dynasty manuscript that he stole from the UCLA library in December 2024. McEvocy said the man also admitted in court to stealing other manuscripts between December 2024 and July 2025. 

An FBI agent was eventually contacted by the UCLA police department on a report of missing manuscripts last checked out by someone under the name of “Alan Fujimori,” the DOJ said, which officials later revealed was a fraudulent identity, according to the criminal complaint from the U.S. Central District of California. The complaint states that the man stole at least eight books, including one that was published in 1393 and one published in 1575, each of which was valued at more than $62,000.

When the man arrived at the library to check out more books on Aug. 5, UCLA police officers were notified, and he was arrested. As he was taken into custody, officers also found a fraudulent California identification card and a hotel key card for Hotel Angelino in Los Angeles, the complaint stated. 

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Officers seized the man’s iPhone and conducted a search warrant at his hotel room. Authorities found pre-made labels and other supplies that the man used to create the “dummy” books inside the hotel room.

McEvoy said the main was in Los Angeles County jail before being charged in the case but was released on bond “shortly after.” 

UCLA did not respond to SFGATE’s request for comment.