Sorry, another copy and paste, but I thought the last line was priceless.


"An expensive antique revolver stolen from a private museum outside Santa Fe has been recovered after the curator spotted the suspected thief on a television appraisal program being filmed in Colorado.

Museum owner Jim Gordon said his curator was channel-surfing at a Gallup hotel in February when he began watching an episode of the Discovery Channel's "American Guns." The program is filmed at a gun shop in Wheat Ridge.

Gordon told the Albuquerque Journal that curator Jeff Hengesbaugh was astonished to see 65-year-old Wylie Gene Newton of Erie trying to have the museum's missing 1849 .44-caliber Colt Dragoon appraised.

He contacted New Mexico law enforcement, who followed up with police in Colorado. They set up a sting and offered to meet Newton and buy the $40,000 gun. Newton was arrested on a larceny charge.

Newton was returned to New Mexico and booked into the Santa Fe County jail on a larceny charge Aug. 5. He had his arraignment in state District Court on Friday and will have a bond hearing Monday. It isn't clear whether he has a lawyer. He is listed as living in Erie, but an Eldorado address also is listed in court papers.

Court records show Newton had visited the invitation-only museum twice in March 2011, and after the second visit Hengesbaugh realized the Colt was missing. He suspected Newton and called him, but he denied taking the revolver. He then notified police, but when detectives talked to Newton, he denied having the gun and the trail went cold.

Until February. That's when Hengesbaugh happened to catch the show and spied the rare Colt.

Gordon said in an interview with the Journal on Friday that Newton called him about a month ago and started talking about the weather. Gordon said he tried to remain patient until Newton got to the point, and Newton eventually said he didn't steal Gordon's weapon.

Gordon said Newton asked him if he thought he was stupid enough to appear on national television trying to appraise a stolen firearm.

" 'I absolutely do,' " Gordon said he told Newton in response. " 'I think you're totally, completely that stupid.' "