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Stolen swimming memorabilia recovered

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Olympic medals and other memorabilia stolen from the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., have been found and are being returned.

The collection, valued at $500,000, was allegedly taken by a maintenance worker and discovered by an eBay user, The Miami Herald reported Thursday.

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Police said the loot was taken by Paul Nicholas Cristow, 48, who was filling in for his brother, a maintenance worker at the facility who was confined to his home with a broken leg.

Police said Cristow sold about 50 medals to Double Eagle Rare Coins and owner Marty Bookston put them up for sale on eBay. A memorabilia collector saw them and called the Hall of Fame, which contacted Bookston and the trail led back to Cristow. He was arrested and charged with two counts of grand theft and with dealing in stolen items.

About half the memorabilia is still missing, but authorities expect to get it back.

Some of the items date back to the 1896 Olympics and several Olympic medals won by Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller also were included.

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