While all you working stiffs are wasting the best years of lives clocking in and out of some dead and job to barely keep your head above water, area man Andrew Hansen had it all figured out: lifting books from public libraries and selling them to used bookstores for a hefty profit, according to prosecutors. Authorities tell the Post that Hansen, who used to work in publishing before developing a drug problem, is "well known to NYPL gumshoes and local bookstores," and he allegedly stole so many books the library sent photos of Hansen to local bookstores. And recently the chickens came home to roost.
The Post has an amusing account [EXCLUSIVE!] of Hansen allegedly trying to unload some stolen graphic novels at East Village Books at 99 St. Marks Place. Police say Hansen would tear off any stickers that identified the books as property of NYPL, and sell them for $40 or up. But East Village Books owner Donald Davis caught on to Hansen's alleged scheme and told his employees to watch out for him. “There’s no other situation where I would do this," Davis tells the Post. "I was so angry that he was stealing from the library. The library is just a very important piece of our community."
One day, when Davis was at dinner, Hansen allegedly came in to sell some books. "My friend was watching the store for me, [and] he called me on my cellphone,” Davis tells the Post. “We had a code set up so that he would say, ‘Where’s my delivery?’ Then I knew the guy was there.” Davis rushed back to the store and subdued Hansen until police arrived. "The guy tries to push me, [and] I slam into the floor,” Davis says. “I’m on top of him. He tries to get up. I was a high-school wrestler, so every time he tried to get up, I’m putting the riding move on him.”
The riding move gets 'em every time! Hansen is charged with burglary and criminal possession of stolen property and is being held at Rikers on $7,500 bond. And the world just got a little safer for lovers of borrowed literature. But let's be honest, we're really just telling you this as an excuse to revisit this timeless Seinfeld clip.
