Milton Man Accused Of Stealing $14K Flute From BU Student

BOSTON, MA – A Milton man accused of stealing a $14,000 silver flute from a Boston University student is was arraigned Thursday in Brighton Municipal Court. Nathaniel Oliver, 68, who lived in Mattapan at the time of the theft, faces two counts of larceny over $250 and one count of trespassing, the Suffolk District Attorney's office said. He was released on his own recognizance.

The sterling silver flute was found late last month. It had been reported stolen by a student in August, who said she had briefly left the instrument and her iPad unattended in an empty classroom. She returned to the room to find them gone.

The flute, handmade by master flute maker Juan Arista at the Arista Workshop in Bedford, was "worth a lot more than $14,000 to [the student]," Boston University Police Chief Kelly Nee told BUToday. Nee credited her officers' "dogged gumshoe police work" with finding the instrument.

That work included analyzing at security footage of the building and surrounding area, finding a witness who knew the suspect's first name and narrowing down a search of pawnshops to include the words "Arista" and the name, according to BUToday. This led them to a photo of Oliver, who allegedly matched the suspect on the video conducting a transaction in 2014.

After an initial interview with the suspect where police left without the flute, he called back and agreed to return both items.

He will next appear in court Dec. 8.

Read more from BUToday.

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