'It's been handled!' John Legend's $31k suitcase is stolen at airport... but police swiftly get it back

John Legend had a bag stuffed with $31,000 of belongings stolen after it was left unattended on an airport cart.

Luckily for the singer, airport police managed to track down the Louis Vuitton case after the theft was captured on camera at John F Kennedy airport in New York.

The bag contained a pair of $30,000 Cartier Panther jewel-studded cuff links, a $500 pair of eyeglasses and designer clothes, according to the New York Daily News.

Theft: John Legend's $31k suitcase is stolen at airport... but police swiftly returned it to the singer, he has revealed

Theft: John Legend's $31k suitcase is stolen at airport... but police swiftly returned it to the singer, he has revealed

'It's been handled': The singer thanked the police for tracing the bag

'It's been handled': The singer thanked the police for tracing the bag

The singer took to Twitter after erroneous reports that the suitcase was snatched from him in person.

Instead, he wrote, it was simply overlooked by an airport greeter and then appeared to have been taken by an opportunistic passer by.

'We use a trusted car service and they did not rob me. Our Delta greeter made a mistake and left a bag on the cart,' he wrote.

'The bag was taken because it was left unattended. The airport police caught the person who took it (on video) and retrieved my bag. Thanks to the airport police/security. One could say it's been "handled".' 

Revelation: John tweeted about the experience, after it was wrongly claimed the bag was taken from him in person

Revelation: John tweeted about the experience, after it was wrongly claimed the bag was taken from him in person

Arrested: New Yorker Agustin Hilario, 63, was  charged with grand larceny, third-degree criminal possession of stolen property and third-degree attempted grand larceny

Arrested: New Yorker Agustin Hilario, 63, was charged with grand larceny, third-degree criminal possession of stolen property and third-degree attempted grand larceny

After it was realised that the bag was missing, Port Authority police examined security footage, with an officer identifying the man who took the bag.

District Attorney Richard Brown told ABC news that the officer contacted the man, who admitted taking the bag and said he planned to take it to lost and found. He then returned the bag to Port Authority police.

New Yorker Agustin Hilario, 63, was subsequently arrested, and charged with grand larceny, third-degree criminal possession of stolen property and third-degree attempted grand larceny.

It's not know if John was travelling alone or with wife Chrissy Teigen and daughter Luna at the time of the theft - which came after he arrived back in the U.S. on a flight from France.

The family of three recently returned from a trip to Morocco together. 

Jet setter: John, Chrissy and Luna recently returned from a trip to Morocco together

Jet setter: John, Chrissy and Luna recently returned from a trip to Morocco together

Hitmaker John recently spoke of his pride for Chrissy, for being so open about her experience of postpartum depression.

The 38-year-old explained: 'I think it was powerful for her to let a lot of women know they're not alone, and no matter how much money you have or fame, anybody can feel that.

'And it's hard for anybody no matter how successful you are and how many resources you have.'

 

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