In this undated photo provided by Rancho Obi-Wan is a ceremony taking place at the Star Wars museum, Rancho Obi-Wan, in Petaluma, Calif. A Georgia man is facing felony grand theft charges for stealing more than $200,000 worth of prized Star Wars vintage action figures from the California nonprofit museum where roughly 400,000 pieces of memorabilia are stored and shown to visitors. The museum founder says that more than 100 pieces were stolen starting from 2015 to 2016 by a friend who stayed at the compound four times during that period. (Anne Neumann/Rancho Obi-Wan via AP)
The owner of the world’s biggest Star Wars memorabilia collection says someone stole more than 100 items, and he knows who did it. Steve Sansweet said yesterday that a well-known Star Wars collector and longtime friend named Carl Cunningham made off with pieces from Sansweet’s Rancho Obi-Wan nonprofit museum in Petaluma. Sansweet says 130 items worth about 200-thousand dollars disappeared over several months in late 2015 and early 2016. Cunningham, who lives in the Atlanta area, has been charged with grand theft and is free on bail. Sansweet’s collection includes more than 400-thousand Star Wars collectibles.