Woman pleads guilty in Pa. Ben Franklin bust case
A housekeeper has pleaded guilty to a federal charge in connection with the theft of a bust of Benjamin Franklin from a home in suburban Philadelphia.
Forty-six-year-old Mobile, Ala., resident Andrea Lawton pleaded guilty yesterday to interstate transportation of stolen property for allegedly fleeing with the bust to Alabama in August. Prosecutors allege she had made plans to sell it.
Defense attorney Martin Isenberg says his client simply made a mistake. A second charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. Lawton faces up to 10 years in prison.
Police allege Lawton stole the bust from a home in Bryn Mawr because she had been fired. She allegedly told police it was valuable and wanted to get her boss fired.
Isenberg says the bust was damaged, but there is debate over how much it is worth.
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