A Pleasantville man is jailed after he allegedly stole two instruments from the band Heart hours before they took the Mark Etess stage at the Hard Rock on Saturday.
A custom-built, one-of-a-kind purple sparkle baritone Telecaster with a hand-painted headstock that was designed for Nancy Wilson disappeared along with a vintage 1966 Gibson FM-50 mandolin, which Moak has played for more than a quarter-century.
Garfield Bennett is seen in video surveillance walking through the city trying to sell the instruments, an investigation by Sgt. Gary Holmes and Detective Lisa Kaplin-Caldwell found.
Bennett, 57, has a history of burglaries and thefts across at least two states, records show.
In February, he was released from Orange County, Fla., records show. He was sentenced to four years and nine months in a burglary there from 2017.
He also served time there for grand theft of a firearm, records show.
Bennett's criminal history in New Jersey dates to at least 2015, when he was charged in several shopliftings in Atlantic City.
Prior to his most recent arrest, he was charged in a city burglary in April, records show. He was in possession of crack cocaine at the time, according to the charges.
A warrant charging Bennett with the theft of the legendary band's instruments was issued Wednesday, and patrol officers were notified, Capt. Kevin Fair said.
Officers Alex Torres and Glen Robinson quickly found Bennett, but locating the missing instruments will take more work.
Garfield Bennett (Orange County, Fla., Corrections Department)Bennett sold one of the instruments, with the second's whereabouts unknown, Fair said. It was not clear which one was sold.
Anyone who may be in possession of the stolen instruments is asked to call police and voluntarily surrender them.
If they are not surrendered and someone is found with one of the stolen items, they will be arrested and criminally charged with receiving stolen property, Fair warned.
Hard Rock security personnel aided in the investigation.
Bennett is in the Atlantic County Justice Facility awaiting a detention hearing set for next week. He refused to come down Thursday for his first appearance in central judicial processing court.
Heart put out a press release on the missing items earlier this week, promising a reward.
"Anyone with knowledge of the theft or whereabouts of the instruments is urged to come forward," the statement read
Despite the loss, the Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famers delivered a solid set in Atlantic City.
Nancy Wilson impressed, particularly during the moving instrumental "4 Edward," her tribute to Eddie Van Halen, the late rocker who changed the sonic lexicon.
Wilson kicked off the climactic "Barracuda," with one of the most familiar and beloved riffs in rock history. Fans never would have guessed anything was wrong but Wilson is a consummate professional, who has been performing with Heart for more than a half-century. However, her heart was heavy throughout the performance.
Wilson's vocalist sister, Ann Wilson, belted out 16 tunes during the group's 90-minute performance.
Both Wilsons have put up a post about the stolen instruments."These instruments are more than just tools of our trade," Wilson said in a statement. "They're extensions of our musical souls. The baritone Tele was uniquely (crafted) for me, and Paul's mandolin has been with him for decades. We're heartbroken, and we're asking for their safe return, no questions asked. Their value to us is immeasurable."
The Hard Rock is doing all that it can to help recovering the instruments. "
"The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City remains committed to a safe and secure environment for all guests, performers, and team members," The Hard Rock said via statement.
NOTE: This story originally ran June 4, 2025. It has been updated to include the arrest.
Ed Condran contributed to this report.
