Sentencing in map theft case postponed until mid-October

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The sentencing of antique-map thief Edward Forbes Smiley III was postponed in court Tuesday until mid October.

Officials from the New Haven Superior Court Clerk’s Office said they were not aware of the reason for the delay and that Smiley will appear in court Oct. 13 to be sentenced for the theft of valuable historic maps from the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

An experienced dealer of antique maps, Smiley was arrested by Yale Police in June 2005 after a librarian noticed an X-acto knife on the floor of the reading room near where Smiley had been sitting. Smiley confessed to the thefts this past June and also admitted to stealing a total of 97 maps from six libraries and museums. He faces a federal prison sentence of up to 71 months.