One of the two men charged in connection with the 2005 theft of a pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” died on Sunday before his case could be resolved in federal court.
Citing the death of the man, Jerry Hal Saliterman, a federal judge on Monday dismissed a 2024 indictment charging him with witness tampering and theft of a major artwork.
In recent weeks, Mr. Saliterman, 77, of Hennepin County, Minn., who had pleaded not guilty, had been unable to appear in court because of numerous health issues, including Parkinson’s disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which required him to use supplemental oxygen, court records show.
His lawyer, John C. Brink, declined to comment on the case on Monday.
The famed red-sequined pumps were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minn., in 2005. The slippers were missing until 2018, when the F.B.I. announced that they had been recovered in a sting operation.
Federal officials said they were among four known surviving pairs from “The Wizard of Oz” and one of the most recognizable cultural objects in film history.
The other man charged in the theft, Terry Martin, pleaded guilty in 2023 to one count of theft of a major artwork.
Prosecutors said Mr. Martin had broken into the museum and stolen the slippers. He believed the shoes were adorned with “real rubies” that he could peel off and sell on the black market, according to court records. But his plan backfired when a man who traded in stolen jewels informed him that the gems were made of glass.
Mr. Martin was spared prison time and was sentenced in January 2024 to one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $23,500 in restitution to the museum.
Mr. Saliterman was charged last year with playing a separate role in the theft.
According to the indictment, from August 2005 to July 2018 Mr. Saliterman “received, concealed and disposed of an object of cultural heritage,” referring to the ruby slippers. The indictment says he knew they had been stolen.
In 2023, Mr. Saliterman tried to intimidate an unidentified woman who knew about the theft, the indictment said. He threatened to reveal a sex tape of her to her family if “she did not keep her mouth shut” and spoke with the F.B.I., it said.
Public records show that Mr. Saliterman had a lengthy criminal history, with previous charges of fraud, theft and shoplifting.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1988 after he pleaded guilty to credit card fraud and conspiracy to defraud the federal government, The Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported at the time.
Mr. Saliterman was one of two people who had been a part of “a sophisticated fencing ring that traded in expensive furs, artworks and sports cars,” the newspaper reported.
In December, the ruby slippers sold at an auction in Dallas for a record-breaking $28 million.
Heritage Auctions, which handled the sale, said it was the largest sum ever spent at an auction for a piece of entertainment memorabilia. It exceeded the sale of Marilyn Monroe’s subway dress from the 1955 film “The Seven Year Itch,” which sold in 2011 for $5.52 million with fees, the auction house said. Including taxes and fees, the slippers sold for $32.5 million.
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