Date: 17th September 2002

Missing superhero suits recovered


Police in Los Angeles have charged two men with stealing costumes from the set of Spider-Man, following an 18-month investigation into their disappearance.
Jeffrey Glenn Gustafson and Robert Hughes were detained after three of the Spider-Man suits were recovered at locations in New York and Los Angeles.

The fourth Spider-Man costume was traced to Japan, according to a spokeswoman for the film's producers Sony.

Mr Gustafson and Mr Hughes have also been linked to the disappearance of a Batman suit and mannequin from Warner Bros' studios in 1996.

The outfit and mannequin, thought to be worth around $150,000 (£96,000), have since been traced to a New York collector.

The four Spider-Man costumes have been valued at $50,000 (£32,000) each.

Mr Gustafson has worked as a security guard for both Warner Bros and Sony, leaving the latter in January 2001.

He has been charged with two counts of receiving stolen property while Mr Hughes has been charged with one count of receiving stolen property.

Both men were due to appear in court in Los Angeles on Friday.

"We took this seriously from the beginning and we were willing to invest the time and money to track down those responsible," said a spokesman for Columbia Pictures, which is owned by Sony.

"We have a zero tolerance policy for theft and will pursue all violators."

Spider-Man, starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, has become one of the biggest films of the year.

Filming on a sequel is set to begin early next year for release in summer 2004.

The recent Batman films have also been hugely successful, with three different actors - Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer and George Clooney - playing the Caped Crusader.

Source: Press Release