Second man charged over theft of ruby slippers worn in 'The Wizard of Oz'

A second man was charged over the 2005 theft of the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz," according to an indictment.

Minnesota man Jerry Hal Saliterman, 76, was charged with witness tampering and theft of a major artwork, according to an indictment made public over the weekend, The Associated Press reported. 

Saliterman did not enter a plea when he appeared Friday for the first time in the U.S. District Court in St. Paul.

The sequined slippers were stolen during an overnight heist nearly two decades ago at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, the late actress' hometown. FBI agents located the slippers, which are valued at about $3.5 million, in 2018.

From August 2005 to July 2018, Saliterman "received, concealed, and disposed of an object of cultural heritage," the indictment states.

Saliterman knew that the "authentic pair of 'ruby slippers' worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie 'The Wizard of Oz'" was stolen, and he threatened to release a sex tape of a woman and "take her down with him" if she did not remain quiet about the slippers, according to the indictment. 

In a wheelchair and on supplemental oxygen throughout his court appearance on Friday, Saliterman told U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Cowan Wright he understood the charges he faces, but he did not comment further on the allegations.

"He’s not guilty. He hasn’t done anything wrong," Saliterman’s attorney John Brink said after the hearing.

Saliterman's indictment comes after Terry Jon Martin, 76, pleaded guilty in October to stealing a major artwork. He admitted to smashing the glass of the museum's door with a hammer and then smashing the display case to take the slippers. Martin's attorney said it was his attempt to have "one last score" after ending a life of crime. He was sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release due to his poor health. He was also ordered to pay $23,500 in restitution.

Martin thought that the rubies in the slippers real and he had hoped to sell them, but when he was informed by a stolen goods dealer that the rubies weren't real, he got rid of the slippers. 

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