• Jeffrey Ying, 38, is charged with stealing rare Chinese manuscripts worth $216,000.
• He reportedly used aliases to check out and replace manuscripts with fakes.
• Ying could face up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted.
• UCLA's library policy did not require verification of returned items.
• The case highlights vulnerabilities in library security for rare collections.

A California library user has been charged with theft involving rare Chinese manuscripts valued at $216,000, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Jeffrey Ying, 38, allegedly used multiple aliases to gain access to manuscripts at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) library, checking out works dating back over 600 years and later returning fake copies in their place, officials reported SCMP, TRT Global, and CBS News.

On investigating the missing manuscripts, authorities uncovered that Ying had adopted the alias 'Alan Fujimori' to check out the rare books. Following his arrest, law enforcement found blank manuscripts resembling those stolen, alongside pre-made asset tags used to create dummy books, India Times and Los Angeles Times report.

Ying allegedly exploited UCLA's library system, which allowed users to rent manuscripts without requiring identification. After checking out valuable documents, he was known to travel to China shortly thereafter, raising suspicions among library staff, CBS News and India Times note.

If convicted, Ying faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the theft of major artwork, demonstrating significant legal implications concerning cultural heritage preservation Los Angeles Times and SCMP.