New Jersey Man Arrested For Allegedly Stealing Heart Instruments

A New Jersey man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a pair of instruments from Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Heart. Just days after the band offered a reward for the return of a custom guitar and mandolin they said were stolen from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City on the night before they kicked off their An Evening With Heart summer tour on Saturday (May 31), the Associated Press reported on Thursday (June 5) that a Pleasantville, N.J. man has been taken into custody.

Atlantic City police said surveillance video first led them to the 57-year-old suspect, who was allegedly seen on video walking through the city trying to sell the instruments. Authorities said that the man eventually succeeded in selling one, while the other is currently unaccounted for — at press time it was unclear which instrument was sold and which one was still missing.

According to NBC 10 Philadelphia, investigators obtained video footage of the theft, which they said took place around 2 a.m. on May 30. They identified the suspect as Garfield Bennett and charged him with theft and burglary on Wednesday (June 4). Officials reported that Bennett has a long criminal record and was previously arrested in April for a prior burglary.

Prior to the arrest, Heart described the missing items as a “custom-built, one-of-a-kind purple sparkle baritone Telecaster with a hand-painted headstock, crafted specifically for [guitarist] Nancy Wilson,” as well as a “vintage 1966 Gibson EM-50 mandolin” that band member Paul Moak has played for over 25 years.

In a statement, band co-founder Wilson, said, “These instruments are more than just tools of our trade — they’re extensions of our musical souls. The baritone Tele was made uniquely for me, and Paul’s mandolin has been with him for decades. We’re heartbroken, and we’re asking for their safe return — no questions asked. Their value to us is immeasurable.”

Police told NBC 10 that they are not sure where Bennett sold the instrument and are asking anyone in possession of the other one to alert Atlantic City Police to return it, warning anyone in possession of the stolen item that they will be arrested and charged with receiving stolen property if they don’t hand it over. “If you’ve got the guitars, bring them back. Turn them in. No questions asked,” Atlantic City Director of Public Safety Sean Riggin told the channel. “If we continue looking and we have to find them, there are absolutely going to be serious criminal charges.”