A sticky-fingered man in Philadelphia has sparked something of an international incident after stealing the thumb off of a terracotta warrior statue.
Valued at $4.5 million dollars, the revered relic is one of ten on loan by the Chinese government to Philadelphia's Franklin Institute science museum.
During, appropriately enough, an ugly sweater holiday party this past December, Michael Rohana reportedly snuck into the facility's terracotta warrior display to take a selfie with the statues.
Apparently not satisfied with having merely a photo from the misadventure, cops say that he then proceeded to snap the thumb off of one of the famed statues and pocketed the pilfered piece.
When it was later discovered that the digit had been dislodged, an investigation by the FBI ultimately led them to Rohana's home where he sheepishly handed over the thumb.
The young man was subsequently arrested and charged with a number of crimes related to the theft of "an object of cultural heritage."
To that end, his caper has spawned considerable outrage from the Chinese government, who lambasted the museum for their lax security and called on American authorities to severely punish Rohana for the crime.
While the young man is likely to, indeed, face harsh consequences for the thumb theft, we're guessing that he'll fare better than he would if had he pulled the stunt in China.
Source: Washington Post