DA seeks stiffer sentence for Pittsburgh rare book thieves

The Allegheny County District Attorney is asking a judge to reconsider sentencing for two men who stole rare books from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, arguing they should go to jail instead of serving home confinement.

District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.’s office on Friday filed a motion with Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Alexander P. Bicket.

Bicket on June 19 sentenced former librarian Gregory Priore and John Schulman, owner of Caliban Book Shop in Oakland, to periods of home confinement and probation, saying he would have exacted a “more impactful” sentence had it not been for the coronavirus pandemic.

Schulman, 56, of Squirrel Hill, who pleaded guilty to theft, receiving stolen property and forgery, received a sentence amounting to four years home confinement and 12 years probation. Priore, 63, of Shadyside pleaded guilty to theft and receiving stolen property. His sentence amounted to three years home confinement and 12 years of probation.

Zappala’s office argued the crimes and Schulman’s actions called for a stiffer jail sentence.

“The defendants used their stature to steal and sell works of cultural and historical significance at the expense of the citizens of Allegheny County,” prosecutors wrote in the motion. “The Commonwealth urges this Honorable Court to reconsider its previous sentence of house arrest and impose a sentence of total confinement in this matter.”

Attorney Patrick Livingston, who represented Priore, declined comment, saying he had not fully read the motion. Attorney Robert DelGreco, who represented Schulman, could not be reached.

Priore was archivist and manager of the William R. Oliver Special Collections Room. Police charged him with stealing some of the library’s rarest material — including a book autographed by President Thomas Jefferson and a Bible dating to the 1600s — and selling it to Schulman, who in turn sold it to collectors.

The library discovered the missing items during a 2017 appraisal. The appraisal found that more than 340 books, maps and images had been stolen over 20 years.

The DA’s Office argued that Schulman, who after pleading guilty sent an email to friends proclaiming innocence, deserved a jail sentence.

“The scope, breadth and impact of the crimes perpetrated by John Schulman and Gregory Priore cannot be overstated,” prosecutors wrote. “The devastating financial loss to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh pales in comparison to the irreparable damage that the defendants caused the community. Scholars from around the world and those closer to Allegheny County can no longer benefit from the historical, educational and cultural value of the items which have been destroyed or lost forever.”