$3M Bust Thief Busted: Police

Police arrest a woman accused of swiping a rare Ben Franklin bust that dates back to the 18th century.

A Philadelphia woman was arrested in Maryland and charged with stealing a rare, porcelain bust of Ben Franklin from a Bryn Mawr home.

Andrea Lawton, 46, had recently been fired from a cleaning company when she stole the bust and a shadow box valued at approximately $80,000 from the house in August, according to the Lower Merion Township Police Department.

Investigators learned that Lawton had fled to Alabama and was possibly returning to the Philadelphia area on a bus, according to police. On Friday, members of the Lower Merion Police, FBI, IRS and the Maryland State Police found Lawton in Elkton and arrested her.

The Ben Franklin bust was recovered, but investigators say it is damaged.

Lawton is being detained at a federal detention center awaiting court appearances in both federal and county court.
 

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