Hitler’s Gold Bookmark Recovered in Sting

An 18 carat gold bookmark allegedly given to Adolph Hitler by Eva Braun would be a cool thing to have, but trying to sell it gets you big trouble. Just ask Christian Popescu, 37, of Kenmore, Washington, who was arrested on November 25 after attempting to sell the stolen WWII artifact to an undercover U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.

In October 2002, the bookmark was about to be auctioned off when it was stolen by "eastern European thieves" from a Madrid, Spain auction house.

According to ICE, Eva Braun gave Hitler the bookmark to bolster his ego after the defeat of his army in the battle of Stalingrad. An inscription of the bookmark reads, "My Adolf, don't worry…(the defeat)… was only an inconvenience that will not break your certainty of victory."

If convicted on the charges of sale or receipt of stolen goods, Popescu, a Romanian national, faces up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

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