The alleged culprit: Carl Edward Cunningham, 45 of Marietta, Georgia, a fellow Star Wars collector whom Sansweet has known for 20 years.
The California dealer, Zach Tann, told Wise that he had bought many other Star Wars collectibles from Cunningham and sent a detailed list.
Sansweet said the thefts ran contrary to the collegial spirit of Star Wars fans.
He has also written 18 Star Wars books and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as owning the world’s largest collection of Star Wars paraphernalia.