Archivist Charged With Theft of 1000 Recordings

The former head of the National Archives audiovisual division has been charged with the theft of nearly 1,000 recordings. The charges against Leslie Charles Waffen, who had retired after 40 years of service, were brought a year after federal agents raided his home, The Washington Post reports.

The 66-year-old Waffen, charged with the theft of federal property, faces up to 10 years in prison on the charge that involves some 955 sound recordings seized in the search of his home. The items were not identified by authorities, the Post said.

The audiovisual archive maintains more than 90,000 items including presidential recordings, the only known audio recording of the assassination of President Kennedy and the Zapruder film that captured the Dallas shooting, the Post reported.