"Mormania" leads to arrest in Herndon
Date: June 14, 2012 08:58AM
On Tuesday, federal marshals barreled into an apartment in Herndon and found a most unusual book: a leather-bound first edition of the Book of Mormon.
They also found the man who allegedly pilfered the prized tome — worth $50,000 to $100,000 — from a suburban Phoenix bookshop, authorities said.
Jay Michael Linford, a fellow Mormon bookseller who had been “like a grandson” to the shop’s owner, was arrested at his friend’s apartment and charged with theft and trafficking in stolen property.
The theft and arrest spotlighted the market for “Mormonia” — memorabilia about Mormonism — that has been thriving as Mitt Romney’s presidential candidacy, television shows and a Broadway play have stoked interest in the faith.