Everyone has hobbies, interests and passions in life. Sometimes, unfortunately, those passions get the best of a person, who may take things too far, leading to a crime. In the case of one New York man, this seems to be exactly what happened. His potentially extreme interest in history and historical artifacts may have led him to commit a rare crime: the theft of at least 6,500 historical documents.

Theft is very often a crime of opportunity. When the door of opportunity is left open there is sometimes a temptation. When one cannot resist this temptation, unfortunately it may lead to a theft. What's also unfortunate is, even if no one is hurt or injured in the commission of a theft crime, there still may be prison sentences involved.

This New York man, 64, was accused last summer of stealing documents from a historical society. The incident led to an investigation which resulted in subsequent allegations that the man had stolen other documents, the worth of which totals more than $1 million.

The earliest document that the man allegedly stole dates back to 1479. Prosecutors allege that the man has been stealing such documents since as early as 2003.

While the accused man may have possessed motivations relating to an honest appreciation of the historical pieces, his alleged actions came with severe consequences. He was sentenced last week to seven years in prison.

Even the smallest of theft charges can create major problems for a Syracuse area resident. Theft convictions are listed on permanent criminal records. This can make it more difficult to obtain employment, find housing or educational opportunities.

Those facing theft charges are wise to seek a qualified defense attorney who will work toward the best possible outcome in the case.

Source: CBS News, "NY man gets 7 years prison for rare document theft," June 28, 2012