Book of Mormon stolen in Ariz. recovered in D.C.

MESA, Ariz. — Federal authorities have arrested a man in the theft of a rare first-edition copy of the Book of Mormon from a bookstore in a Phoenix suburb.

Police in Mesa, Ariz., said Tuesday that FBI and U.S. marshals searched the apartment of Jay Linford in Washington, D.C., and recovered the book that's valued at about $40,000.

The owner of Rare and Out of Print Books and Art in Mesa reported the book stolen May 28 and said it wasn't insured. Helen Schlie says it's known throughout Mesa's Mormon community that her store had an original copy.

Police say the store owner knows Linford and he allegedly was in the store at the time of the theft.

Police say Linford is being held on $40,000 bond pending extradition to Arizona.